THE 



NEW TESTAMENT 

STANDARD OE PIETY; 

OR, 

OUR LOVE MADE PERFECT. 
By REV. W.^McDONALD, 

it 

Author of "Scriptural Way of Holiness" <&c. 



REVISED EDITION 




BOSTON : 

Mcdonald & Grafe 

3(3 Bromfield St. 
1882. 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1882, 

by rev. w. McDonald, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D. C. 



The Library 
of Congress 

WASHINGTON 



PKEFACE. 



In submitting this revised edition of the 
New Testament Standard of Piety to the 
friends of Jesus, we can but hope that 
it will continue to do in the future even 
more than in the past in casting light on 
the pathway of holiness. We have re- 
ceived many gratifying testimonials to the 
blessed results which have followed the 
reading of this volume. It was written 
at the opening of the great work of holi- 
ness in this country, and has had, we have 
reasons to believe, somewhat to clo with 
helping on the work. It treats the subject 
in a plain, scriptural, experimental style, 
and leads the reader directly to the Cross. 

If one would be profited by the reading 

of this book, he should come to its perusal 

3 



4 



PKEFACE. 



with an humble reliance on God for grace 
to do His will, that he may know of the 
doctrine. And in the language of one 
long since in the spirit -land, in regard to 
a production quite unlike this, Ave would 
say, " If any one, already predisposed to 
criticism, should, upon the appearance of 
this humble work, detect in himself re- 
turning symptom's, it is absolutely neces- 
sary, in order to any good results, that 
his heart should be filled with love to God 
and good will to man." 

We have drawn largely upon Christian 
experience, not for the purpose of proving 
the doctrine, as that is founded on the 
Holy Scriptures, but to confirm the doc- 
trine, and show that what the Scriptures 
teach may be realized in human experi- 
ence. 

We have made numerous corrections 
and emendations, and added what many 
have great]}' desired, a steel engraving of 
the author. 



PREFACE. 



5 



May the great Head of the Church — 
the God of holiness — bless both author 
and reader, and bring them to that heaven, 
the only preparation for which is, "holi- 
ness unto the Lord." 

w. Mcdonald. 

Boston, 1882. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAGE. 

The Standard Defined 9 

What is the Standard— God's Moral Perfection — Adam's 
Purity — Dr. A. Clarke — Richard Watson — Bible — 
Illustration —Fruit of the Spirit — Fletcher — Arvid 
Gradin — Foster. 

CHAPTER II. 

The Standard Attained 26 

Witnesses — Ignatius — Barnabas — Clement — Fletcher 

— Bramwell — Carvosso — " Riches of Grace" — Ob- 
jections — Dr. C. — Mr. Barnes. 

CHAPTER III. 

Regeneration not the Standard 44 

Regeneration and Entire Sanctification not the Same — Mr. 
Wesley on Count Zinzcndorf — The Disciples before and 
after the Pentecost — W. Arthur — Fletcher — Watson 

— The Members of the Corinthian Church — Thessalo- 
nians — W r esley. 

CHAPTER IV. 
The Distinction a Matter of Experience . . . 64 
Justin Martyr — Witnesses Summoned — Ignatius — W. 

Bramwell — W. Hunter — Hester Ann Rogers — Bishop 

Asbury — Bishop Whatcoat — Rev. M. Lunib — T. . 

Kinley — Bishop Hamline — Prof. Upham — Pres. Ma- 

han — Mrs. Upham — Merle d'Aubigne. 

CHAPTER V. 

Objections to the Argument from Experience . 97 
Nothing can be Proved by Experience — Reclaimed from 
a Backslidden State — Professors of Holiness Live No 
Better than Others — Wesley's View Explained. 

7 



<s 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER VI. 

PAGE. 

The Distinction Defined 115 

Regeneration and Sanctification not the Same — Dr. Up- 
ham — Wesley — Bishop Hedding — Bishop Hamline — 
The Two States Described — W. Arthur — Dr. L. Lee. 

CHAPTER VII. 

The Distinction Defended 126 

Objections — Disparages Justification - Represents God as 
Doing His Work Imperfectly — Bible Represents No 
Such Distinction — Wesley, Watson, Upham — Lee. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

The Standard — When Attained 148 

Wesley — Early History — Gradual and Instantaneous — 
Growth in Grace a Condition of Sanctification — The 
Apostles Did not Teach this Doctrine — Wesley Op- 
posed It — Natural Corruption — Habits — Satan. 

CHAPTER IX. 

The Standard — How Attained 168 

Difficulties — Variety in Christian Experience — Clear Evi- 
dence of Regeneration— Clear Perception of the Doc- 
trine — G. Peck — Consecration Complete — Altar and 
Sacrifice — Dr. Doddridge's form of Consecration — Im- 
plicit Faith — Believe that Ye Receive — The Promise 
— Evidence — Dr. True's Experience. 

CHAPTER X. 

The Standard — Evidences of Its Attainment . 210 
No Conscious Unbelief— No Favorable Response to Temp- 
tation — Direct Witness of the Spirit — Wesley on the 
Witness of the Spirit. 

CHAPTER XI. 

The Standard — How Retained 234 

Confession — Objections — Wesley's View — Must not Rely 
on Emotion — Fletcher — Fenelon — Dark Day. 

APPENDIX. 

Experiences of Rev. Alfred Cookman and Rev. 
Daniel Steele, D.D 271 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 

STANDARD OF PIETY. 



CHAPTER I . 
THE STANDARD DEFINED. 

" Hast thou not died to purge our sin, 
And risen thy death for us to plead? 
To write thy law of love within 
Our hearts, and make us free indeed? 
That we our Eden might regain, 
Thou diedst, and could not die in vain. 

" The promise stands, forever sure ; 
And we shall in thine image shine, 
Partakers of a nature pure, 
Holy, angelical, divine ; 
Tn spirit joined to thee, the Son, 
As thou art with the Father, one." 




HE views entertained by Christians on 
the nature and extent of gospel salvation," 



says Rev. John Lancaster, " must be of the ut- 
most importance. If these are erroneous, their 
pursuit after it will be more or less retarded. 
And yet it is to be lamented that difference 

(9) 



10 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



of sentiment has long obtained on this highly 
momentous subject. While all the sincere dis- 
ciples of Jesus insist on the absolute necessity 
of holiness in order to final salvation, they are 
not agreed with respect to the degrees of holi- 
ness attainable on earth, or, rather, as it re- 
spects the time when this holiness may be re- 
ceived. Rome, from a deep conviction of the 
entire and radical depravity of human nature, 
and from a consciousness of the numerous imper- 
fections which attach to us as men, have denied 
the possibility of our being delivered from the 
remains of the carnal mind until the article of 
death ; or, at least, conceive that God does, for 
wise and gracious purposes, suffer his people 
to struggle with their innate corruptions, so 
long as they remain in the body ; and though 
sin is subdued, it is not eradicated ; that, 
though it does not reign, yet it maintains a 
warfare within, until mortality is swallowed up 
of life. Others, with views equally correct on 
the depth and malignity of human depravity, 
and equally conscious of unavoidable imper- 
fections, conceive that they see enough in the 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



11 



Scriptures to authorize them to expeit a full 
and a present salvation : not only from the 
guilt and dominion of outward sin, ;ut also 
from the very remains of corruption in their 
hearts. They see an extent and efficacy ascribed 
to the atoning blood, sufficient to wash away 
all moral pollution. They are encouraged to 
expect the entire benefit of this renewing and 
cleansing process, by numerous exceeding great 
and precious promises. " — Life of Lady Max- 
well, p. 244. 

The question is often asked, "To what ex- 
tent may we be saved from sin in the present 
life?" or, "What is the New Testament 
Standard of Piety ? " 

Jesus answers this question : " Be ye there- 
fore perfect, even as your Father which is in 
neaven is perfect." This standard may need 
some explanation. 

What is it to be jerfect as God is? We 
are not expected to be omnipotent, or omni- 
present, or omniscient, or eternal ; and still, we 
are to be like God. We are to be made par- 
takers of " his holiness " — the " div ine na- 



12 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



lure." We are to be pure as he is. This 
was our original state. We were cre&ted in 
the " image and likeness " of God, which con- 
sisted of " righteousness and true holiness." 
The design of the atonement is to restore man 
to that original state. 

Dr. Adam Clarke says, " This perfection is 
the restoration of man to the state of holiness 
from which he fell, by creating him anew in 
Christ Jesus, and restoring to him that image 
and likeness of God ivhich he lost. A higher 
meaning it cannot have ; a lower meaning it 
must not have." 

Mr. Richard Watson says, " Sanctification is 
that work of God's grace, by which we are re- 
newed after the image of God." 

The holiness of God is manifested, he says, 
" in restoring man to a sinless state, and to 
the obliterated image of God in which he had 
been created" 

But it is claimed that we can never be as 
perfect in this life as Adam was before his 
fall. If by this is meant, that we can never 
possess Adamic purity, we dissent. But if by 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



13 



it is meant, that we can never arrive at Adamic 
perfection, we agree. We see a vast difference 
between Adamic purity, and Adamic perfec- 
tion. Adam possessed a threefold perfection ; 
— physical, intellectual, and moral. We may 
never possess Adam's physical perfection. The 
atonement does not claim to do that in the 
present life, hut has provided for any loss 
which may have been sustained, in the 
resurrection, when our bodies will be restored 
to their original perfection, being made "like 
unto Christ's most glorious body," who is 
the second Adam. Xor shall we possess his 
intellectual perfection. His knowledge seems 
to have been intuitive, as is illustrated in 
his calling all the beasts by name. But 
with regard to moral pjerfection, we are not 
able to see why our loss in the fall is not 
provided for in the gospel. Adam was only 
required to love God perfectly, and this is 
the standard cf gospel requirement. If we 
do not misunderstand and misinterpret Dr. 
Clarke and Mr. Watson, this is their view. 
Dr. Clarke claims that a lower meaning it 



14 THE NEW TESTAMENT 

must not have, while Mr. Watson claims 
that the image lost in the fall is restored 
by Christ. 

Mr. C. Wesley has described this state 
thus : — 

" My heart, thou knowest, can never rest 
Till thou create my peace j 
Till, of my Eden re-possessed, 
From every sin I cease.' - 

But we must go to the Bible for correct 
descriptions of this state. St. Paul informs 
us that the "new man" with which we may 
be clothed, " is, after God, created in right- 
eousness and true holiness." We are to " walk 
in the light as he [God] is in the light." 
But what is the extent of that light ? We an- 
swer : " In him is no darkness at all." " As 
he is, so are we in this world," when our 
love is made perfect. He who has the hope 
in him of seeing God as he is, " purifieth him- 
self, even as he is pure." This language is 
not to be misunderstood. When we have 
availed ourselves of the provisions of the 
atonement to the extent to which they are 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



15 



offered, and may be received, we are, in out 
capacity, perfect as God is in his. 

" Can we be as perfect as God is ? " Why 
rot? Is God unlike himself? If we are made 
partakers of his holiness — of his nature — 
his image and likeness — are we not like him, 
— as he is — in purity? When the "body is 
dead because of sin," and the " Spirit of God 
dwells in us ; " when Christ " dwells in us," 
and he and the " Father make their abode 
with us ; " when we are 44 filled with the 
Holy Ghost/' and possess 46 all the fulness ol 
God," are we not like God? — as God? 

<4 Then you make us Gods." By no means. 
Is one ray of light the sun ? and yet, is it 
not like the sun ? Is one drop of water the 
ocean ? and yet, is it not like the ocean ? 
The quality is the same. The difference is 
only in quantity. May I not then be like 
God and not God, as a ray of light is like 
the sun and still not the sun? or, as the drop 
is like the ocean, and yet not the ocean? 

The perfection of God is absolute, — to 
which nothing can be added. The perfection 



16 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



of man is relative, — to which endless addi- 
tions may be made. While nothing can be 
added to the perfection of God, — he being per- 
fect, both in quality and quantity, — endless 
additions may be made to man's perfection, 
his being only a perfection in quality. Hence, 
man may be like God, and yet not God. 

Suppose we fill a vessel with the water of 
the sea, and then submerge it in the sea, we 
have an illustration of Christ's saying, " I 
in you, and you in me." The vessel is in 
the sea, and the sea is in the vessel ; yet all 
of the sea is not there. What the vessel does 
contain, however, is as pure as the great ocean 
which surrounds it. It would be quite im- 
proper for any one to affirm that, because the 
sea is in the vessel, every man who carries a 
bottle of sea-water in his pocket carries the 
whole ocean there. And yet it is true that 
the only difference is in the quantity. The qual- 
ity is the same. He has the ocean, but not 
all of it. So the Christian may carry God in 
him, but not all of him. 

This likeness to God implies completeness — 



ST AX DAE. D OF PIETY. 



17 



no lack. " Ye arc complete in him." We 
are exhorted to " stand perfect and complete, 
in all the will of God." When patience has 
her " perfect work," we are " perfect and en- 
tire, wanting nothing." How much does this 
imply ? When there is completeness — no 
want unsupplied — all satisfied — are we not 
like God ? In this state we ask no more, 
and are satisfied with nothing less. 

He who is as God, is " filled with the 
Holy Ghost." This was the measure received 
at Pentecost. 

When deacons were to be chosen, men were 
selected who were "full of the Holy Ghost." 
Stephen was made choice of because he was 
" full of faith and the Holy Ghost." Being 
" full of faith and power," he " did great 
wonders among the people." They were not 
able to resist the " wisdom and spirit by which 
he spake." St. John declares that they had "re- 
ceived of his fulness ; " St. Paul prays that the 
Thessalonians " may be filled with all the 
fulness of God." This, w r e repeat, is the 
New Testament Standard of Piety ; — a fulness, 
2 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



How much does a hungry man need to satisfy 
the demands of nature ? Just enough to fill 
him. When that is received, he asks for no 
more. If urged to eat more, he replies, " I 
have enough. I am satisfied. I have no 
further need at present." This was the Pen- 
tecostal measure; this was their perfection,-- 
their fulness. — their completeness, — their like- 
ness to God. Why may it not be ours ? 

Such a fulness seems to be so clearly taught 
in the Scriptures, that it is matter of sur- 
prise that all do not see and embrace it. 
David knew its blessedness when he exclaimed, 
" My cup runneth over." Isaiah rejoiced in 
it when the " live coal touched his lips, and 
his iniquities were purged." Christ says, 
"Your joy shall be full;" "The whole body 
shall be full of light, — no pari dark." It is 
no more, no less, than the expulsion of all 
sinful appetites and affections, and filling the 
cleansed soul Vith God. Mr. Fletcher says, 
"It is perfect repentance, perfect faith, per- 
fect humility, perfect meekness, perfect self 
denial f perfect resignation, per .feet hove, per- 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



19 



feet charity, and above all, perfect love. 9 ' 
But how much does all this imply ? A re* 
pentance which is complete, and neeceth not 
to be repented of, is perfect repentance. A 
faith that simply trusts God in all things, is 
perfect faith. Humility, that gives God credit 
for all, taking no glory to itself, is perfect 
humility. Meekness, that saves from all in- 
ward motions of irritability and petulance, is 
perfect meekness. Self-denial, that does what- 
ever is bidden of God, however much opposed 
to natural inclination, is perfect self-denial. 
Resignation, that says under all divine ap- 
pointments, " Even so, Father, for so it 
seemeth good in thy sight," is perfect resigna- 
tion. Hope, that desires only good, and ex- 
pects it according to the promise, is perfect 
hope. Charity, that does to others, by hand 
and tongue, as it would have others do under 
like circumstances, is perfect charity. Love, 
that expels all hatred and tormenting fears, is 
perfect love. This is a perfect constellation 
of gracious stars ; not all of the first magni- 
tude, yet perfect stars. These giaces all meet 



20 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



in the truly sanctified heart. To love God 
with all the heart, and our neighbor as our- 
selves, is the substance of the moral law. 
This is required alike of the lowest and high- 
est grade of moral intelligences. It has well 
been said, " Whatever may be the extent of 
powers possessed, it asks the whole, and no 
more. If those energies in a single being ex- 
ceed all that the race of man ever shared, 
still no part can be reserved or left unem- 
ployed ; the entire amount, up to the last jot 
and tittle, is demanded. And if we descend 
to the very lowest grade of responsible agents, 
where moral perception is scarcely distinguish- 
able from mere animal instincts, the law claims 
no more than it finds. Whatever there is of 
mind, of vigor, of affection, it asks — it ac- 
cepts. If the whole be but as the smallest 
dew-drop, it asks no more ; if it expands into 
the vastness of an ocean, it must have it all, 
out to the farthest shore, and down to the 
lowest depths." 

Another writer expresses the same idea in 
the following words : — 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



21 



" The measure of our perfection is the per- 
fection of God. The great perfection of God 
is love, and when all the soul, however ex- 
panded or however diminutive, is love, — lov: 
to God and love to man, — it has reached the 
measure of its capacity, even as God has 
reached the measure of his infinite capacity ; 
but such a soul has not reached the measure 
of its growth." 

God only claims faith, love, and obedience, 
to the extent of our capabilities. These we 
all have the ability to render. 

" But," it may be asked, " does not this 
doctrine of completeness exclude all growth in 
grace ? " By no means. 

A present fulness can no more satisfy the 
soul for all coming time, than filling oui 
stomachs once with food, forever prevents 
hunger. Suppose a man, after eating a hearty 
meal, concludes, because he feels no present 
want, he shall never hunger more. How long 
would that impression last ? Before twenty- 
tour hours had passed, nature would teach him 
another lesson. The same is true of this 
complete?iess. 



22 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



Nor will the amount of food necessary foi 
one, suffice for every period of life. The 
man requires more than the child. There is 
also an expenditure of grace, as there is of 
daily food. 

The heart is also capable of indefinite ex- 
pansion. The measure of grace given is 
"pressed down, shaken together, and running 
over." This process expands the heart, so 
that what is sufficient for to-day will be a 
limited supply for to-morrow. 

" A manifestation of the Spirit last year will 
no more support a soul this year," says Mr. 
Fletcher, " than air breathed yesterday will 
nourish the flame of life to-day. The sun which 
warmed us last week must shine again this week. 
Old light is dead light. A notion of old warmth 
is a very cold notion. We must have fresh food 
daily ; and though we need not a new Christ, we 
need, perpetually, new displays of his eternal 
love and power. The Lord taught us this im- 
portant lesson, by making the manna he gave 
Israel in the wilderness to disappear every davi 
and causing that which was not gathered fresh to 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



23 



* breed worms and stink.' Nevertheless, as the 
mysterious food kept sweet in the golden p^t in 
the ark, so does the heavenly power in Chrisc, to 
whom every true Israelite will come daily foi 
new supplies of hidden manna, for fresh man- 
ifestations of the Holy Spirit." — Works, vol. 
iv. p. 289. 

This fulness does not necessarily imply ful- 
ness of joy, — great emotion. It sometimes 
exists in the absence of all emotion. There 
is a fulness of faith, — called by the apostle, 
"full assurance of faith" — which is much more 
reliable than mere emotion. 

In 1738, Mr. Wesley had a long conversa- 
tion with Arvid Gradin, a German divine of 
deep piety. Mr. W. desired him to give him, in 
writing, a definition of "full assurance of 
faith which he did in the following words : — 

" Repose in the blood of Christ ; a firm con- 
fidence in God, and persuasion of his favor ; 
the highest tranquillity, serenity, and j eace of 
mind ; with a deliverance from ever) fleshly 
desire, and a cessation of all, even inward sins." 

Mr. Wesley declares that this he had learned 



24 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



from the oracles of God, and had been p . ay< 
ing for it for several years, but had nevei 
heard it before from any living man. But not 
long after this, we hear him describing this 
blessed fulness thus : — 

" Heavenly Adam, life divine, 
Change my nature into thine j 
Move and spread throughout my soul, 
Actuate and fill the whole." 

We adopt this as a correct definition of the 
fulness, completeness, purity, holiness, perfec- 
tion, for which we contend, and which con- 
stitutes the 44 New Testament Standard of 
Piety." 

If the Bible is to be believed, it teaches this 
standard of purity. In fact, the Bible is full 
of it. It has been said, 44 It breathes in the 
prophecy, — thunders in the law, — murmurs 
in the narrative, — whispers in the pr: tnises, — 
supplicates in the prayers, — sparkles in the 
poetry, — resounds in the songs, — speaks in 
the types, — glows in the imagery, — voices in 
the language, — and burns in the spirit, of its 
whole scheme, from its alpha to omega, from 



STA.NDABI U PIETY. 



26 



its beginning to its end. Holiness ! holiness 
needed ! holiness required ! holiness offered ! 
holiness attainable ! holiness a present duty, 

— a present privilege, — a present enjoyment, 

— is the progress and completeness of its won- 
drous theme ! It is the truth- glowing all over, 

— webbing all through revelation ; the glori- 
ous truth which sparkles, and whispers, and 
sings, and shouts in all its history, and biog- 
raphy, and poetry, and prophecy, and precept, 
and promise, and prayer ; the great central 
truth of the system. The wonder is, that all 
do not see, that any rise up to question, a 
truth so conspicuous, so glorious, so full of 
comfort." — Fosters Christian Purity, p. 80. 

May the reader make this theme a subject 
of deep and serious thought ; and may such 
thought lead to an ardent desire for the heav- 
enly gift ; and may he constantly pray, with 
the assurance that whatsoever he asks in faitb 
shall be granted, — 

" Refining fire, go througn my heart, 
Illuminate ray soul ; 
Scatter thy life through every part, 
And sanctify the whole." 



«6 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



CHAPTER II. 

THE STANDARD ATTAINED. 

" Now purify my faith like gold; 
The dross of sin remove ; 
Melt down my spirit, Lord, and mould 
Into thy perfect love. 

" 'Tis done ; thou dost this moment save, — 
With full salvation bless ; 
Redemption through thy blood I have, 
And spotless love and peace." 

The Bible teaches holiness not merely as a 
dogma, but as a matter of personal experience. 
This fact demands special attention ; and so 
far as the testimony of those, of whose purity 
the Bible makes mention, is concerned, it has 
received attention from those who have written 
upon the subject of Christian holiness. We 
shall not attempt to repeat what has been so 
well said by others. We shall simply consider 
the testimony of the church on this subject. 
^ If we were left to the teachings of Revela* 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



27 



tion alone there might be stronger grounds 
for doubt than we now have, arising from the 
difficulty attending the proper understanding 
of scriptural terms, and their apparent con- 
flict with other Scriptures, and cherished dog- 
mas ; and especially from the want of prac- 
tical illustrations of the doctrine. But when 
we find this truth so plainly taught in the 
Bible, as its " Central Idea" and fully illus- 
trated in the lives of good men, in every age 
of the church, these Bible teachings assume 
additional interest, and the doctrine is forced 
home upon us as a great practical truth, " com- 
mending itself to every man's conscience in the 
sight of God." 

There are thousands, — living and dead, — 
who have testified ' that the blood of Jesus 
Christ has saved them from all sin ; that they 
were "filled with the Holy Ghost." These 
witnesses differ widely ic their thtv logical 
opinions ; but here they all agree. They 
differ widely in position, mental culture, and 
the time of their experience. Some are 
men of vast mental resources ; others, of 



28 THE NEW TESTAMENT 

more humble abilities. They are found in the 
chair of the learned professor, and on the 
cobbler's bench ; among doctors of the law, 
and humble domestics ; among physicians in 
the sick room, and those who follow the 
plough. Some have professed to enjoy it only 
a few days, and others, for more than fifty 
years. They are persons in whose lives we 
have seen nothing to condemn, — in whose 
conversation w r e have heard nothing which did 
not minister grace to the hearer. We have 
followed them till a cloud received them 
out of our sight, or the river of death 
hid them from our view, and death did not 
convince them that they were mistaken. They 
died exclaiming, 64 I have kept the faith.'" 

St. Ignatius addresses the Lord in this im- 
pressive manner: " I thank thee, O Lord, that 
thou hast vouchsafed to honor me with a per- 
fect love towards thee." St. Barnabas says, 
" Let us become spiritual, a perfet t temple to 
God." Speaking to the Ephesmns of being 
drawn up to God by the cross, Ignatius says, 
" Ye are therefore, with all your companions 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



2$ 



in the same journey, full of God ; his spirit- 
ual temple, full of Christ ; full of holiness." 
St. Clement says, " They who have been made 
perfect in love, have, by the grace of God, ob- 
tained a place among the righteous." These 
extracts show that holiness was the theme of 
the early church. Rev. John Fletcher, than 
whom no man ever presented a purer life since 
St. John, in confessing what grace had accom- 
plished for him, says, " I tell you all, to the 
praise of God's love, I am free from sin." 
Mr. Wesley's testimony with reference to this 
holy man is, " Within fourscore years I have 
known many excellent men, — men holy in 
heart and life ; but one equal to him, — one 
so uniformly and deeply devoted to God, I 
have not known. A man so unblameable, in 
every respect, I have not found in Europe or 
America. Nor do I expect to find another 
such on this side of heaven." 

Mr. B ram well describes the wonderful change 
wrought in his heart by the Spirrt of God, 
an 1 says, 54 I have now walked in this liberty 
twenty-six years." Mr, Carvosso, in describing 



30 



THE NEW TE8TAMENT 



this work, says, " I was emptied of sin and 
self, and filled with God." In speaking of the 
experience of Robert Spencer, he says, " I 
know not when 1 have met with a man's ex- 
perience to come so near to mine as his does. 
A conversation with Mrs. Mather was made an 
unspeakable blessing to his soul. It was by 
her he learned his privilege to claim the prom- 
ise of full salvation, and expect the evidence 
in believing. Fearful of being mistaken, he 
very artlessly inquired, * Is this Methodism ? ' 
It was replied, ' It is old Methodism, — 
proved Methodism.' Yes," says Mr. Carvosso, 
44 and I bless God that I have the pleasure of 
putting my hand to the truth of this ; I can 
say, it is old and proved Methodism, for on 
the 13th day of this month, (March, 1825,) it 
will be fifty-three years since I obtained the 
evidence, in believing, that the blood of Jesus 
Christ, the Son of God, cleanseth from all 
sin." Bishop Asbury, in speaking of this 
change, says, " The night before, the Lord re- 
sanctified my soul." Bishop Whatcoat tells 
us, that on the 28th of March, 1761, three 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



31 



years after his conversion, he was " suddenly 
stripped of all but love,'" and this he calls 
being sanctified wholly. 

There is a book published, — "The Riches 
of Grace, " — containing the testimony of sixty- 
two witnesses, to the fact that the " blood of 
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cleanseth from 
all sin." These testimonies are deeply inter- 
esting. They testify to the simple fact that 
God can save fully. One says, "He felt 
it, not only outwardly, but inwardly. It 
seemed to press upon his whole being, and to 
diffuse all through and through it, a holy, 
sin-consuming energy. For a few minutes, 
the deep of God's love swallowed him up, — 
all its waves and billows rolled over him." 
Another says, " I was never able, before that 
time, to say with sincerity and confidence, that 
I loved my heavenly Father with all my soul 
and with all my strength." Another says, 
" My soul was full, — it overflowed. 'Twas 
no ecstatic flight, no height of rapture ; but, 
O, the depth ! the fathomless depth ! The 
ocean of love ! " Another says, " I seemed 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



to be in a new state of existence ; the change 
being as great as at the time of my conver- 
sion." Another says, " My heart melted and 
flowed out like water." Another says, "Ev- 
ery power of my soul and body was soothed 
to sweetest peace, and rapt in holiest joy." 
Another says, " Wave after wave rolled over 
me, until I could only cry out, Glory ! glory ! 
It seemed like light, and its essence love." 
Another says, " I now looked around for my 
sins, — they had long teen my companions, — 
but they were nowhere to be found. Jesus 
had borne them all away." Another says, 
" Eleven years have passed since, and my 
peace has been like a river." Another says, 
" My whole heart was won by Christ, and 
filled with overflowing love to him. I had no 
will but his, and no desire of life, or death, 
or eternity, but to be disposed of in that way 
which would secure the highest possible praise 
to my Redeemer." Another says, " For a 
week, the mortal powers could scarcely sus- 
tain the weight of love." Another says, " Sin 
I was not conscious of; I felt I was cleansed. 



STANDARD Otf PIETY. 



33 



1 know it, and must proclaim it. I feel it, 
and must declare "it. I have* tried it, and must 
tell it. My heart is full." Another says, 44 I 
now believed for the first time that my soul had 
entered the Canaan of perfect love." Anothei 
says, 44 That was indeed a new life, in which 
hallelujahs rose spontaneously from a heart so 
long unused to notes of joy." Another ex- 
claims, fc4 Here were wonders ! This was like 
a God ! But why attempt to describe it with 
words ? The brightness of his glory has oft- 
times been so great as almost to extinguish 
the lamp of this mortal life." Another says, 
k4 It came gently, yet powerfully and overpow- 
ering ; it was like a mighty rushing wind in 
my soul, extending itself through all my bodily 
frame." 

Here are samples of the testimonies with 
which this book abounds. They are from 
Methodists, Baptists, Congregationalists, Pres- 
byterians, Episcopalians, and others. Here ia 
an eloquent Methodist Bishop, and a Congre- 
gational Doctor of Divinity ; — a plain Metho- 
dist Itinerant Preacher, and a President of a 
3 



(54 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



Congregational College, — all uniting in exalt- 
ing Jesus a Prince and a perfect Savioui, 
because he had saved them from all unright 
eousness. 

What shall we do with this testimony ? 
Shall we pass it by as unworthy of notice ? 
Shall we ignore the whole thing ? We must, 
like Hume, discredit all testimony, because it 
has proved in some cases unreliable, or, like 
Christians, believe that these witnesses have 
truthfully declared what God has done for 
their souls. To say that they were mistaken, 
is to discredit all testimony with reference to 
experimental religion ; for no testimony was 
ever given, with reference to regeneration, 
more clear and satisfactory than is here given 
with reference to entire sanctification. But if 
these witnesses were mistaken, how do wo 
know it ? How do we know that they did 
not enjoy the fulness of love J Were they not 
as intelligent, and as well qualified to under- 
stand their mental and moral state, as we are ? 
We ask, then, how do we know that they 
were not up to the standard ? In order to 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



35 



deny the possibility of such an attainment, we 
must test the power of grace and the efficacy 
of Jesus' blood to save the soul, to the fullest 
extent. We must confess ourselves saved to 
the extent of the Divine willingness and abil- 
ity. To say that God's word does not incul- 
cate such a doctrine, is to say that we under- 
stand all the teachings of the Word and Spirit 
on this subject. For if there be an attain- 
ment in Christian holiness not yet enjoyed by 
us, for aught we know to the contrary that un- 
en joyed blessing may be the fulness of which our 
witnesses speak. The fact is, if this blessing 
is not attainable in this life, we do not know it. 

The summary manner in which these wit- 
nesses have been disposed of, and their testi- 
mony answered, by some learned, but mis- 
taken men, may be seen in the following 
strong language employed by a late writer 
of considerable note: "It is common to find 
those who profess to be perfect, to be men 
of really no religion at all, making good 
that word, ' If I should say I was perfect, 
that would prove me perverse/ We can have 



36 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



no surer certificate of the rottenness of one's 
character. If otherwise he seems to be a 
Christian, that pretence shows that he is far 
from it." 

This shaft was aimed at the Methodists 
alone ; but in so doing, the writer has stricken 
down some of the most God-honored men and 
women of his own denomination. Like Sam- 
son, he seems willing to sacrifice his own life, 
if by so doing he can destroy those hated 
Philistines. All the evidence necessary to 
convince him that a man has no religion at 
all is, to humbly process that he keeps the 
first commandment, without which, St. John 
declares every man a liar who professes to love 
God. The Doctor wants no surer certificate 
of the rottenness of one's character than a 
profession that " the blood of Jesus Christ, 
the Son of God, cleanseth from all sin.*' We 
might have expected this from an infidel, — a 
man who had falien out with the Bible, and 
the world's Redeemer, — but for a professed 
gospel minister, and grave Doctor of Divinity, 
— a man, professing to believe in a Saviour 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



37 



who " saves his people from their sins ; " — 
" redeems them from all unrighteousness ; 99 
"cleanses them from all filthiness of the flesh 
and spirit/ 7 and "preserves them blameless 
unto the coming of our Lord J esus Christ/' — 
to make such a sweeping assertion, is illiberal 
and uncharitable in the extreme, and evinces 
a great want of Christian candor. 

Xot only is Wesley, Clarke, Fletcher, Bram- 
well, Carvosso, Whatcoat, Asbury, James B. 
Taylor, Hamline, Finney, Upham, Cookman, 
and thousands more, in the Congregational, 
Methodist, Baptist, and other churches, un- 
christian ized by this writer, but he aims his 
shaft alike at all whom God has pronounced 
"perfect." Thus, when God says to Abraham, 
"Walk before me, and be thou perfect," he 
means, according to this writer's logic, that 
Abraham was to present a "sure certificate 
of rottenness of character" It is said of Asa, 
that from a given time, "his heart was per- 
feet all his days; 7 ' that is, he had "no re- 
ligion at all." We are to "mark the perfect 
man/' etc., for his end is peace ; that is, 



58 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



those who present a " sure certificate of rot- 
tenness of character" are remarkable for theii 
peaceful end. " The righteousness of the per- 
fect shall direct his way ; " that is, according 

to the logic of Dr. , the righteousness of 

the " rotten hearted " shall direct his way. 
Jesus says, " Be ye therefore perfect," i. e., 
rotten hearted. Paul was running over with 
this kind of logic. Hear him : "We speak 
wisdom among those who are perfect," i. e., 
among the rotten hearted. 44 Be perfect" i. e., 
have no religion at all. " As many as be per- 
fect," i. e., as many as have the sure certifi- 
cate of rottenness of character, " be thus 
minded." " The God of peace make you per- 
fect ; " i. e., rotten hearted. " Go on unto 
perfection ; " i. e., unto the loss of all religion. 
James is very bold, and says, " He that offends 
not in word, the same is a perfect man," i. e., a 
rotten hearted man, who has no religion at all. 
Such is the logic of this celebrated divine. 
We see at a glance the perfect absurdity of all 
such attempts to disprove the doctrine of full 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



39 



salvation. Let us not be found guilty of "curs- 
ing whom God the Father has sealed." * 

It makes but lit Lie difference, practically, 
whether God calls us perfect or we declare it 
ourselves, provided it be so in fact. If Job did 
not believe himself perfect in love, as this 
writer would have us believe, then he and the 
Lord differed in judgment, for the Lord did 
tell Satan tLdt Job was perfect. " And the 
Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered 
my servant Job, that there is none like him 
in the earth, a 'perfect and upright man, one 
that feareth God, and escheweth evil." — Job 
i. 8. 

It further appears that, whatever Job might 
have thought of his own moral state, he be- 
lieved there were those who were perfect ; for 
in the second verse, following the one quoted 
by the Doctor, he does say, " He [God] de- 
stroyeth the perfect and the w : 2kod." Now, 

* In order to show the absurdity of the nguments and asser- 
tions ot an illiberal and captious writer, it is ?<.rietimes neces- 
sary to place them in the same position tl at Mr. Fletcher did 
Richard Hill, Esq. See Works, vol. i. pD. 2(7, 268. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



if the perfect, in Job's estimation, s< ware rot- 
ten hearted," ['perverse," etc., wiry loes he 
distinguish them from tne wizKtd J Are they 
not one ? And if a perfect mm was not to 
be found, it would be a difficult task for even 
God to destroy such a one. 

Mr. Barnes uses language very similar to 

that employed by Dr. . He represents 

Job as a man very far from perfection ; for • 
getting, it would seem, that he had given Job 
credit for all the perfection ever claimed for him. 
He says, " ' If I say, I am perfect.' Should I 
attempt to maintain such an argument, the 
very attempt would prove that my heart is 
perverse and evil. It would do this because 
God had adjudged the contrary, and because 
such an effort would show an unsubmissive 
and a proud heart. And is not the claim to 
absolute perfection in this world always a 
proof that the heart is perverse r Does not 
the very betting up of such a claim rn fact 
indicate a pride of heart, a self-satisfaction, 
and an ignorance o r the true state of the soul, 
which is full demonstration that the heart 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



41 



far from being perfect? God adjudges man 
to be exceedingly sinful ; and if I do not mis- 
take tbe meaning of the Scriptures, this is the 
testimony of every human heart, — totally 
until renewed, — partially ever onward till 
death. If this be the account in the Scrip- 
tures, then the claim to absolute perfection is 
prima facie, if not full proof, that the heart 
is in some way perverse. It has come to a 
different conclusion from that of God. It sets 
up an argument against him, — and there can 
oe no more certain proof of a want of per- 
fection than such an attempt." — Barnes's 
Sotes. 

Mr. Barnes denies perfection to Job, in di- 
rect opposition to God, who states that he 
was perfect. He regards a profession of such 
an attainment an unmistakable evidence of 
pervcrseness of heart. But the assertion is 
relieved a little by the prefixed adjective, — 
absolute He is careful to call it 44 absolute 
perfection" — a term never employed by us; 
a doctrine which, from the beginning, we have 
stoutly denied. Mr. Wesley soys, «* Neither 



42 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



is there any absolute perfection on earth." — 
Works, vol. i., p. 558. Mr. Barnes has raised 
a man of straw, and then performed the her- 
culean task of annihilating it. Why call it 
absolute perfection, when those whom he labors 
to prove guilty of heart perverseness dis- 
claim all belief in any such doctrine ? But 
Mr. Barnes admits that Job possessed all the 
perfection for which we contend. We never 
claimed more for any man than is claimed for 
Job in his Notes, — Job i. 1, — 

" ' And that man was perfect' The LXX. 
have greatly expanded this statement, by giving 
a paraphrase instead of a translation. He was 
a man who was true, blameless, just, pious, 
abstaining from every evil deed. Jerome ren- 
ders it, simplex — simple, or sincere. The 
Ohaldee, complete, finished, perfect. The idea 
seems to be that his piety, or moral character, 
was proportionate, and was complete in all its 
parts. He was a man of integrity in all the 
relations of life, — as an Emir, a father, a 
husband, a worshipper of God. Such is prop* 
erly the meaning of the word tarn as derived 



ST A K DA RT) O F V I E T Y . 



43 



trou tdmdm, to complete, to make full, perfect 
or entire, or to finish. It denotes that in 
which there ?.s no part lacking to complete 
the whole, — as in a watch in which no wheel 
Is wanting." This is all we ever claimed for 
Job, or any body else ; and this is what God 
calls perfection, or being made perfect. Job 
was in this sense a perfect man, — not abso- 
lutely perfect, but complete. He loved God 
with all his heart. God gave this testimony 
concerning his servant, and we have no right 
to question it. 

The testimony, then, in favor of a full sal- 
vation, attainable in this life, seems to us 
"lear and conclusive, both from the testimony 
of Revelation and uninspired witnesses. The 
character and number of the witnesses are 
such as to place their testimony above sus- 
picion. 1 hey are living epistles, known and 
read of al men. 



44 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



CHAPTER III. 
REGENERATION NOT THE STANDARD 



< Rest for my soul I long to find : 
Saviour of all; if mine thou art, 
Give me thy meek and lowly mind. 
And stamp thine image on my heart. 

" Break off the yoke of inbred sin, 
And fully set my spirit free ; 
I cannot rest till pure within, — 
Till I am wholly lost in thee." 



y^^HE state of grace, before described, 



to which so many testimonies have been 
given, differs widely from that initial state of 
religious experience known as regeneration. It 
is a difference with respect to amount and time. 
Regeneration and entire sanctification are not 
received at one and the same time except, 
perhaps, in a few extraordinary caseb, if, in- 
deed, the case ever occurs. 

The question to which we wish to invite the 




STANDARD 01' PIETY. 



45 



reader's attention is this : Does conversion, or 
regeneration, necessarily include entire sanc- 
tijication ? 

There are those who take the affirmative of 
this question, and contend for it with a zeal 
worthy of a better cause. But the very an- 
nouncement of such a doctrine, or dogma, is 
enough to refute it ; for the experience of the 
Universal Church negatives the affirmation. 

The doctrine is not new, nor is it very old. 
Mr. Wesley says of it, " It is a doctrine so 
new, that it was never heard of for seventeen 
hundred years ; never till it was discovered by 
Count Zinzendorf. I do not remember to have 
een the least intimation of it, either in any 
ancient or modern writer ; unless, perhaps, in 
some of the wild, ranting Antinomians." He 
further states, that those who followed the 
Count declared that 46 all true elievers are 
not only saved from the dominion of sin, at 
conversion, but from the being of inward as 
well as outward sin, so that it no longer re- 
mained in them." 

" It is true," continues Mr. W., " that when 



16 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



the Germans were pressed upon this head, 
they soon allowed that sin did still remain in 
the flesh, but not in the heart of a believer : 
and after a time, when the absurdity of this 
was shown, they fairly gave up the point, al- 
lowing that sin did still remain, though it did 
not reign in him that is born of God. But 
the English, who had received it from the 
Germans, were not so easily prevailed upon to 
part with a favorite opinion: and even when 
the generality of them were convinced it was 
utterly indefensible, a few could not be per- 
suaded to give it up, but maintain it to this 
day." — Works, vol. i. p. 108. 

From this short history we may learn both 
the origin and tendency of this dogma. It 
had its origin in Germany, where most reli- 
gious speculations, built, upon philosophy, falsely 
so called, have their origin. The dogma ia 
purely anti-Wesleyan, and, as we believe, anti 
Scriptural. But to the inquiry, — 

Is the Christian wholly sanctified at conver ■- 
%ion ? For an answer to this question, let ui 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



47 



interrogate the Scriptures and experience, as 
in our former investigations. 

We have already shown that the " New 
Testament Standard of Piety " is freedom 
from all sin, — purity of heart, — a heart filled 
with God, etc. Now, are all those who are 
confessed by the Searcher of hearts to be 
Chriatians, possessed of this grace? If but 
one can be found who is not thus saved, the 
dogma is proved false, viz., that all Christians 
are wholly sanctified at conversion. 

An elaborate Scriptural examination of this 
question does not come within the limits tc 
which we have restricted ourselves in this 
work. We will present a few clear cases. 

1. The disciples before and after Pentecost. 

If the disciples were Christians before the 
day of Pentecost, they were not l*i possession 
of the grace for which we contend : nor were 
they before what they were after the Pente- 
costal baptism. That „ney were Christians 
before the day of Pentecost, is evident from 
the following considerations : They had been 
chosen out of the world ; they had preached 



48 



T II E N E AV T E ST AM E N I 



Christ every where ; they had cast out devils 
in his name ; Christ had breathed on them> 
and they had received, in part, at least, the 
Holy Ghost ; they had been with him in the 
regeneration ; they were his intimate compan- 
ions, and confessed friends ; they had felt deep 
religious emotion while with him on the mount, 
beholding his glory, etc. These facts convince 
ns that they were the children of God, — the 
friends of Jesus, — the servants of the church, 
and the commissioned heralds of the gospel 
of our salvation. Still, they were not fully 
sanctified. Follow them through their three 
years" ministry with Christ. We hear him 
chiding them for their unbelief; reproving 
them for their worldly and secular spirit ; rep- 
rimanding them for their spirit of retaliation, 
and accusing them of being an offence unto 
him. He prays for their sanctifl cation, and 
for their oneness with himself and the Father 
That prayer was most wonderfully answered 
on the day of Pentecost, wher? they were 
" all filed with the Holy Ghost,' which we 
believe to have been their entire sanctifica- 



STAXDAIU) OF PIETY. 



19 



tion, After the reception of this fulness, they 
are not troubled with unbelief, as formerly. 
They are not contending for the chief places 
among themselves, or who shall be greatest 
Before, their unbelief developed itself in — 
" We trusted it had been he who should have 
redeemed Israel;" but now, their faith stands 
in the power of God alone ; and all the 
house of Israel is assured that God hath made 
that " same Jesus both Lord and Christ." 
Before, they had great fear, — which perfect 
love should have cast out, if they had pos- 
sessed it ; — now, they fear neither ruler, mob, 
nor Satan. 

What produced this remarkable change ? 
Luke answers ; " They were all filled with the 
Holy Ghost." This they had not received 
before ; and yet they were the disciples of 
Jesus. 

They did not receive the miraculous gift of 
tongues only, on that occasion, but a blessing 
promised to all God's people, of every suc- 
ceeding age. They did not then shout, says 

Mr. Fletcher, " Then hath God given unto 
4 



50 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



the Gentiles power to speak Arabic," but 
1 then hath God granted the gift of the Holy 
Ghost, according to the fulness of the Chris- 
tian dispensation.'' It is this fulness which 
constitutes the Standard of Piety under the 
reign of grace. 

Rev. W. Arthur says, " The apostles had 
doubtless received the Spirit in some measure 
before the day of Pentecost ; for our Lord had 
breathed upon them immediately after his res- 
urrection, and said, 4 Receive ye the Holy 
Ghost.' Yet in the time which intervened be- 
tween that and Pentecost, whatever might 
have been the advancement of their spiritual 
condition beyond what it was before, it rested 
far behind that which immediately followed 
upon the baptism of fire. It was only then 
that they were 'filed with the Holy Ghost.' 
We find, however, that even the expression, 
' be filed, 1 is applied broadly to ordinary be- 
lievers ; and that, too, not merely as describing 
the actual enjoyment of some individuals, but 
a pracept applicable to all : * Be not drunken 
with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled 



STANDARD OF PTETT. 



51 



with the Spirit. 9 Whatever is meant by being 
filled with the Holy Ghost is, by these plain 
words, laid upon us as our duty." — Tongue 
of Fire, p. 46. 

Rev. J. Fletcher contends that an uncom- 
mon degree of sanctifying grace was then 
imparted ; that the gift of tongues was merely 
an appendage, and by no means an essential 
part of the baptism. He says, 46 That this 
dispensation of the Holy Ghost, this coming 
of Christ's spiritual kingdom with power, is 
attended with an uncommon degree of sancti- 
fying grace, is acknowledged by all ; and that 
the gift of tongues, &c, which at first, on 
some occasions, and in some persons, accom- 
panied the baptism of the Spirit, for a sign to 
bigoted Jews, or to stupid heathens ; — that 
such a gift, I say, was a temporary appendage, 
and by no means an essential part of Christ's 
spiritual baptism, is evident from the merely 
spiritual effects which the receivmg of the 
Holy Ghost had upon the penitent Jews, who, 
being 'born of water and the Spirit,' pressed 



52 



THJ5 NEW TESTAMENT 



after the apostles into the kingdom on the da\/ 
of Pentecost." 

"It is very remarkable, that although three 
thousand converts ' received the gift of the 
Holy Ghost ' on the memorable day in which 
Christ opened the dispensation of his Spirit, 
no mention is made of so much as one of 
them working a single miracle, or speaking 
with one new tongue. But the greatest and 
most beneficial of miracles was wrought upon 
them all ; for 4 all that believed,' says St. 
Luke, 6 were together ; continuing daily with 
one accord in the temple, breaking bread from 
house to house, eating their meat with glad- 
ness and singleness of heart, praising God, and 
having favor with all the people,' by their 
humble, affectionate, angelical behavior. Or, 
as the same historian expresses it, (Acts iv. 
32,) -The multitude of them that believed' — 
spoke Greek and Latin ! No ; but — ' were of 
one heart and of one soul ; neither said any of 
them that aught of the things which he possessed 
was his own, but they had all things, common ; 
having been made perfect in one, agreeably to 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



53 



our Lord's deep prayer, recorded by St. J ohn : 
1 Neither pray I for these [my disciples] alone, 
but for them also who shall believe on me 
through their word, that they all may be one ; 
I in them, [by my Spirit,] and thou in me, 
that they may be made perfect in one.' " — 
Works, vol. i. pp. 593, 594. 

Rev. Richard Watson regards the Pentecos- 
tal baptism, not a miraculous gift of tongues 
merely, but the purification of the heart, and 
the filling it with the Holy Ghost. Speaking 
of the manifestations of God to man, he says, 
" The first grand administration of him was 
after Christ ascended, and went within the 
veil, and then poured out from heaven that 
glorious and visible influence which was made 
manifest on the day of Pentecost. But then 
we should greatly narrow our view of the 
subject, if we confined the effects of these 
operations of the Holy Spirit merely to his 
miraculous gifts. That which the apostles re- 
ceived in addition was infinitely more valuable 
than these gifts, however important they were 
V) the success of their public ministry. The 



54 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



visible tongues of fire were only emblems of 
what had passed within. It was, indeed, a 
baptism of fire to them. What new creatures 
did they now become ! They were raised 
from earthliness to spirituality. Their gross 
conceptions of the kingdom of Christ were 
purged away. The bright flame irradiated 
their dim eyes to perceive the true and full 
meaning of the sacred Scriptures, kindled the 
ardor of an unquenchable love to Christ, and 
transformed them into bright reflections of 
his own purity. They came together the sin- 
cere, but timid and partially enlightened 
followers of Christ ; and they departed full 
of light, and power, and love. . . . Christ 
now baptizes with the Holy Ghost and with 
fire. There is to be a constant, though secret 
Pentecost, as to every Christian. The sacred 
baptisms are inexhaustible to all who fix their 
faith and hope in the onice and power of 
Christ tc administi u Jiem, and the gracious 
condescension and readiness of the Spirit to 
be thus administered. He that thus comes to 
God shall receive this mighty influence ; an(1 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



55 



it is our fault that we do not live in a richer 
experience of it. 

" Yes, brethren, the celestial gift is yours. 
You are called to receive the heavenly ele- 
ment which spreads an intensity of spiritual 
life through the understanding and conscience ; 
kindles and feeds the secret fire of devotion ; 
converts, like the warmth of summer, the 
dark and sterile soul into life, and verdure, 
and fruitfulness ; animates every affection ; in- 
vigorates for every service ; gives vital pulses 
to the courage, and strengthens in all con- 
flicts ; nor terminates its sacred operations till 
it has purged from the heart of man all its 
stains of sin, all its debasing alloy of earth- 
liness, and rendered it to God, meet for high 
fellowship and intercourse with him forever 
and ever." — Sermons, vol. ii. pp. 363, 364. 

If the disciples were Christians before the 
day of Pentecost, which no one will deny, 
then there must be a marked difference be- 
tween that grace which constitutes heirships 
and that fulness of the Spirit, that baptism 
?f fre, received at Pentecost. They are not 



56 



THE NEW TESIaMENT 



one ai d the same. We call the former, re- 
generation, and the latter, entire sanctification 

2. The Members of the Corinthian Church. 

The character of this church, as given by 
St. Paul, settles this question in most minds 
beyond a doubt. 

1. Were they regarded by the apostle as 
children of God — Chnstian? 2. Were they, 
at the same time, cleansed from all sin ? An 
investigation of these inquiries will throw 
much light on the subject. 

With regard to the first inquiry : The apostle, 
who is supposed to know, informs us that they 
had been 44 called to be saints ; " " the testi- 
mony of Christ had been confirmed in them ; " 
they had been called 44 unto the fellowship of 
the Son of God." He thanked God for the 
44 grace which they had received by the Lord 
Jesus." He repeatedly calls them 4t brethren" 
and represents them as 44 babes in Christ." 
Such expressions can refer to none but Chris- 
tians : for such grace from the Lord Jesus ; 
such fellowship of the Son ; such confirma- 
tion in the testimony of Christ ; such titles 



S T A N J) A LIT) OF T I K T Y . 



57 



as brethren, and babes in Christ, can be pred- 
icated of none, save those who are born again, 
— are the children of God. This point seems 
very clear. 

Secondly, were they cleansed from all sin ? 
They must have been, according to the theory 
we are opposing, if they were Christians at 
all. 

St. Paul informed them that he had heard, 
through the house of Chloe, that there were 
contentions among them, and he believed it : 
trat such contentions did not evince very deep 
piety. He represents them as carnal. 

They had not conquered their appetites. 
Hence the character of their feasts — eating 
and drinking inordinately. 

They had not conquered their selfishness. 
Hence their contentions about ministers ; — 
one for Paul, and one for Apollos, etc. 

They had not conquered their wills 

They had not conquered carnality. They 
were like babes, given to irritability, fretful- 
ness, petulance, — marked developments of hu- 
man nature un sanctified. 



58 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



A person must very much desire to sustain 
a pet dogma to believe that these Corinthian 
Christians were not the children of God ; or, to 
believe that as such, they were " sanctified 
wholly, soul, body, and spirit." 

The apostle settles this question beyond 
controversy in his exhortation to them, in wh ich 
he says: " Having therefore these promi- 
ses, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves 
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, — per- 
fecting holiness in the fear of God."' Here he 
addresses them as dearly beloved, — an appel- 
lation not at all suited to sinners. They have 
filthiness of flesh and spirit, which is not in 
keeping with entire purity. This filthiness 
must be removed before they can perfect ho- 
liness, or be perfectly holy, in the fear of 
God. 

These points seem clearly proved from this 
case; —1. These church members, though ac- 
knowledged to be Christians, were not pure in 
heart — were not saved from all sin. They 
were still carnal to a certain extent. 

2. That this state of imperfect purity differs 



STANDARD OF PIET\. 



59 



from that state of perfect holiness to which 
they had been called. * 

3. The remedy for all this carnality which 
takes the form of selfishness, wilfulness, etc., 
is perfect holiness, or cleansing from all filth- 
iness of the flesh and spirit. 

" When St. Paul writes to the believers at 
Corinth," says Mr. Wesley, " to those who 
were sanctified in Christ Jesus, he says, 6 1, 
brethren, could not speak unto you, as unto 
spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes 
in Christ. Ye are yet carnal : for whereas 
there is among you envying and strife, are 
ye not carnal ? ' Now here the apostle speaks 
unto those who were unquestionably believers, 
— whom in the same breath he styles his 
brethren in Christ, — as being still, in a mea- 
sure, carnal. He affirms there was envying, 
(an evil temper,) occasioning strife among 
them, and yet does not give the least intima- 
tion that they had lost their faith.. Nay* he 
manifestly declares they had not ; for then 
they would not be babes in Chris f . And, 
what is most remarkable of all, he speaks of 



bO THE NEW TESTAMENT 

being carnal, and babes In Christ, as one and 
the same thing ; plain y showing that every 
believer is, in a degree, carnal, while he is 
only a babe in Christ/ ' — Works, vol. i. pp. 
109, 110. 

The Bible teaches us that there are two 
contrary principles in believers, denominated 
nature and grace, Jlesh and spirit ; and that 
the evil may be removed, and the good only 
remain. That evil and good exist in many 
hearts at the same time is beyond question. 
" The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the 
spirit against the flesh : these are contrary 
the one to the other." Gal. v. 17. This is 
spoken of believers, and proves that evils 
exist in the heart after conversion. 

Mr. Wesley says, " Nothing can oe more 
express. The apostle here directly affirms 
that the flesh — evil nature — opposes the spirit 
even in believers ; that even in the regenerate 
there are two principles, contrary the one to 
the others This address of Paul, Mr. W. 
claims, is to believers in general. 

St. Paul prayed " exceedingly," that he 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



61 



might see the Thessalonians, and " perfect 
that which was lacking in their faith." 1 
Thess. iii. 10. What that lack was may be 
inferred from verse 13th: "To the end he 
may establish your hearts unblamable in holi- 
ness before God." The lack w r as not holiness, 
but unblamable holiness. 

In the 5th chapter the same truth is en- 
forced, — " The very God of peace sanctify 
you wholly," etc. That the apostle addresses 
partially-sanctified Christians there can be no 
doubt. And that those addressed were con- 
verted there can be no doubt. It is not 
<tanctificatio?i they need, but entire sanctifica- 
tion. He calls them brethren ; children of 
light ; children of the day, and yet in need 
of complete sanctification. Even this was an 
attainable blessing, for, " faithful is he that 
calleth you, who also will do it." 

Christ's exhortations to the Churches at 
Ephesus, Pergamos, Sardis, etc., prove the 
doctrine for which we contend. He had some- 
what against those, of whom he says, " I 
know thy work, and thy labor, and thy pa- 



62 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



tience : thou hast patience, and for my name's 

sake hast labored and hast not tainted. " Here 
is a recognition of their excellences and de- 
fects ; the one constitutes them Christians, but 
not perfect Christians. To another he says, 
" Thou hast not denied my faith ; " and yet 
he exhorts them to " repent." Another is ex- 
horted to " strengthen the things that remain, 
that are ready to die, for he had not found 
their works perfect before God." 

Now, why this complaining of their defects 
and acknowledging and commending their vir- 
tues if there be no middle ground ? If. the 
opposing doctrine be correct there is no mid- 
dle ground ; we are either wholly sanctified, 
or we are the children of the devil. 

" Indeed," says Mr. Wesley, " this grand 
point, that there are two contrary principles 
in believers, — nature and grace, the flesh and 
spirit, — runs through all the epistles of St. 
Paul ; yea, through all the holy Scriptures, 
almost all the directions and exhortations 
therein are founded on this supposition ; 
pointing to wrong tempers or practices in 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



63 



those who are, notwithstanding, acknowledged 
by inspired writers to be believers. And they 
are continually exhorted to fight with and con- 
quer these, by the power of the faith which 
was in them." — Works, vol. i. p. 110. 

That such a distinction exists, there can be 
no doubt. There is a warfare within. The 
intellect may see clearly what is right ; the 
will may be determined to execute the decis- 
ions of the judgment ; still there will be 
found an opposing element in the sensibilities, 
which, though it does not control the will, 
often rebels against it and refuses to obey it. 

That depravity does not lie exclusively in the 
will, but also in the perverted passions and 
appetites, is too plain to be denied, and that 
these struggle for unlawful indulgence after re- 
generation, is too universal in Christian expe- 
rience to need proof. This state of things, as 
a matter of fact, must -be admitted by all. 
To this experience we call the reader's special 
attention in the following chapter. 



64 



THE NE «V TESTAMENT 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE DISTINCTION A MATTER OF EXPERL 
ENCE. 



'* O, glorious hope of perfect love ! 
It lifts me up to things above ; 

It bears on eagle's wings ; 
It gives my ravished soul a taste, 
And makes me for some moments feast 
With Jesus' priests and kings. 

" Rejoicing now in earnest hope, 
I stand, and from the mountain top 

See all the land below : 
Rivers of milk and honey rise, 
And all the fruits of paradise 

In endless plenty grow." 



these words : " Having already produced di- 
vine authority, I shall also make use of human 
allegations." 

We shall proceed to show that Christians 
have recognized the distinction of which we 
speak, in their experience. 




1TSTIN MARTYR began the second tm* 
of his " Monarchy," says Du Pin, with 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



65 



The witnesses which we shall summon, all 
agree on the following points : — 

1. They have experienced a clear, unmistak- 
able conversion. 2. Subsequently, they have 
discovered in their hearts unholy emotions^ 
which have been kept under with great dif- 
ficulty, and even at times have gained the 
mastery. These emotions have arisen when 
there were no evidences of backsliding, but when 
the heart was earnestly crying after God. 3. 
They have believed it to be their privilege to 
be freed from such inward foes. They have 
sought by simple faith and consecration such 
freedom, and in answer to prayer and agree- 
ably to their faith, they have received a spe cial 
blessing, as clearly and distinctly marked as 
their conversion — in some cases more so, 
This blessing they call "holiness" "purity 
of heart," "entire sanctification" "full salva- 
tion" etc. 4. Subsequently to the reception 
of this blessing the einful emotions, which be- 
fore gave them so much trouble, are all re- 
moved, and they sing of 
5 



66 



THE NEAV TESTAMEN1 



«* A heart in evtry thought renewed, 
And full of love divine ; 
Perfect, and right, and pure, and good, 
A copy, Lord, of thine." 

In the account given of the martyrdom ol 
St. Ignatius, as translated by Archbishop 
Wake ; occurs this passage : " He rejoiced 
greatly at the tranquillity of his church, yet 
was troubled as to himself that he had not 
attained to a true love of Christ, nor was 
come up to the pitch of a perfect disciple. 
Wherefore continuing a few years longer with 
the church, he attained to what he had de- 
sired." p. 130. What was it that St. Ig- 
natius desired ? It was to come up to the 
" pitch of a perfect disciple" which perfection 
he did not reach for some years ; but after- 
wards received it. Here are the two states 
distinctly marked. 

Let us recall some of our former witnesses. 

William BramiceU. With reference to con- 
version, Mr. Bramwell says : " I had prepared 
myself with much prayer and self-examination 
for worthily partaking of the sacrament oi 
the Lord's supper, and while in the act of re- 



STANDARD OF PLETT. 



67 



ceiving it from the hand of Rev. Mr. Wilson, 
a pious clergyman of Preston, I obtained a 
clear sense of pardon. My spirit rejoiced in 
God, my Saviour. Darkness and gloom, guilt 
and condemnation, were at once removed in a 
manner incomprehensible to me, and utterly 
beyond all that I had ever been taught to ex- 
pect or desire." 

After this clear and unmistakable conversion, 
he felt the need of a pure heart, and sought 
it earnestly and successfully. 

His biographer says : " Being obedient to 
the teachings of the Spirit, it was not long 
before he was convinced of the necessity of a 
further work of grace upon his heart. He 
now saw that it was his. privilege to be cleansed 
from all sin." 

Mr. Bramwell says : "I was for some time 
deeply convinced of my need of purity, and 
sought it carefully with tears, and entreaties, 
and sacrifices, thinking nothing too much to 
give up, — nothing too much to do or suffer, 
— if I might but obtain this pearl of great 
price." 



68 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



From these statements, it is clear that afte* 
a satisfactory conversion, he discovered evils in 
his heart which regeneration had not removed. 
For the removal of these he labored and 
prayed without ceasing. After describing the 
manner in which he sought this cleansing — 
" by faith alone, without the deeds of the 
law 9 ' — he says: " The Lord, for whom I had 
waited, came suddenly to the temple of my 
heart, and I had an immediate evidence that 
this was the blessing I had for some time been 
seeking. My soul was all wonder, love, and 
praise. It is now about twenty-six years ago : 
I have walked in this blessed liberty ever 
since. Glory be to God." — BramwelV s Life. 

Here is an experience clearly illustrative of 
the doctrine for which we contend. 

William Hunter. This eminently pious and 
useful man was a Wesleyan minister, whose 
dying words were, " Tell all my brethren oi 
the Conference [then in session] that I havt 
never varied from the Methodist doctrine and 
discipline, from my first setting out," He had 
a very clear and satisfactory experience in en- 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



69 



tire sanctification, which he relates in a lettei 
to Mr. Wesley. 

Of his conversion, he says : "I was verj 
happy. 1 sung in his ways for joy of heart, 
and his consolations were not small to me. It 
was then 

* I rode on the sky, 
Freely justified I, 
Nor did envy Elijah his seat,' " &o. 

But this happy frame of mind was soon in- 
terrupted by the unsubdued evils of his heart. 
He thus describes this state of mind : " I 
found many things in me which opposed the 
grace of God, so that without continual watch- 
ing and prayer, I was capable of committing 
the very same sins which I had been guilty of 
before. I began to be more acquainted with 
Satan's devices, and found power from God to 
resist them. I was conscious of the need of 
a far greater change in my nature than I had 
experienced." 

He describes his feelings under a sermon 
preached by Mr. Wesley thus : "I was clearly 
convinced of the doctrine of sanctification 



70 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



aid the attainableness of it." He had a clear 
view of God and his law, and t4 felt his great 
unlikeness to both." " Yet, in view of these 
things, I felt no condemnation. O, how I 
longed to be made like him — to love him with 
all my heart, soul, mind, and strength." 

While hearing Mr. Thomas Olivers preach 
from, " Let us go on unto perfection," he 
saw clearly the way of faith, and his heart 
consented to the whole truth. He began with 
new vigor to seek the blessing he so much 
desired. He says : " 1 prayed and wept at 
his footstool, that he would show me all his 
solvation, and he gave me to experience such 
a measure of his grace as I never knew be- 
fore ; a great measure of heavenly light and 
divine power spread through my soul. I found 
unbelief taken away out of my heart. My 
soul was filled with such faith as I never felt 
before. My love to Christ was like fire, and 
1 had such views of him as my life, ni) por- 
tion, my all, as swallowed me up ; and O, 
how i longed to be with him ! A change 
passed upon all the powers of my soul. 1 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



71 



miL say with humility, it was as thougn 1 
was emptied of all evil, and filled with heaven 
and God." 

Mr. Hunter concludes by saying, " From the 
time the Lord gave me to experience this 
grace, I became an advocate for the glorious 
doctrine of Christian perfection, according to 
the light he had been pleased to give me. I 
bear a testimony of this wherever I go, and I 
never find my soul so happy as when I preach 
most upon the blessed subject." — Arminian 
Magazine, vol. ii. 1779. 

Such is the experience of one of the most 
godly men of his day. Mr. Wesley says, he 
was 44 zealous for Christian perfection," ana 
set the society where he labored all 44 in a 
flame" His experience is an experimental 
demonstration of the doctrine for which we 
contend, and a standing argument againsi that 
dogma which we oppose. 

Hester Ann Rogers. This pious lady holds 
a high rank among all the followers of Jesus 
for her spotless life and pious devotion to 
the interests of souls. Her experience is a 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 

clear illustration of our position with regaid 
to entire sanctification. 

After a long and severe, struggle, she found 
pardon by faith in Jesus, which she describes 
in the following manner " In that moment 
my fetters were broken, my bands were loosed, 
and my soul set at liberty. The love of God 
was shed abroad in my heart, and 1 rejoiced 
with joy unspeakable. Now, if I had pos- 
sessed ten thousand souls I could have ven- 
tured them all with my Jesus. I would have 
given them all to him ! I was truly a ne\r 
creature, and seemed to be in a new world. 
I could do nothing but love and praise my 
God, and could not refrain continually repeating 
Thou art my Father ! God, thou art my Godl 
while tears of joy ran down my cheeks." 

This was a clear conversion. She contin 
ued to praise the Lord, and rejoice in him 
for some time. She performed every duty, 
bore every cross, and w r as constant in her de- 
votions. But in the midst of labors more 
abundant, she says, " The Lord began to re- 
peal in my heart that sin was not all destroyed 



SCAXDAKD OF PIETY. 



7;) 



for though I had constant victory over it, yet 
I felt the remains of anger, pride, self-will, 
and unbelief often rising, which occasioned a 
degree of heaviness and sorrow. At first I 
was much amazed to feel such things, and often 
tempted to think I had lost a measure of grace ; 
yet when I looked to the Lord, or whenever I 
approached him in secret, he shed his precious 
love abroad, and bare witness also with my 
spirit that I was still his child. Yea, and at 
this time I received many remarkable answers 
to prayer — many proofs of his undoubted 
love and goodness to my soul, and I ever felt 
I would rather die than offend him." Here 
were the remains of sin clearly discoverable 
In this state of mind she made supplication, 
with strong crying and tears, for entire sancti- 
fication, and ceased not her efforts until Jesus 
appeared her complete Saviour. To use her 
own words, " I come empty to be filled ; deny 
me not. 1 have no plea but thy mercy, the 
blood of Jesus, the promise, and my own 
great need. O, save me fully by an act of 
free grace. I now take thee at thy word ; I 



74 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



do by faith cast myself on thy promise. I 
venture my soul on thy veracity ; thou canst 
not deny ! " At last she exclaimed, " Lord, I 
do believe ; this moment thou dost save. Yea, 
Lord, my soul is delivered from her burden. 
I am emptied of all ; I am at thy feet, a help- 
less, worthless worm ; but I take hold of thee 
as my fulness ! I am conquered and subdued 
by love. Thy love sinks me into nothing ; it 
overflows my soul. O my Jesus, thou art all 
in all ! In thee I behold and feel all the ful- 
ness of the Godhead mine. I am now one 
with God ; the intercourse is open ; sin, in- 
bred sin, no longer hinders the close commun- 
ion, and God is all my own." 

From this time to the end of life, Hester 
Ann Rogers exhibited the fruits of that ho- 
liness which she so fully received. She bore 
her testimony, not only to the fact that God 
could save from all sin, but that this was a 
blessing distinct from regeneration. We cannot 
see how such testimony can be resisted. It 
covers every point in our argument, with 
great clearness. 



S T A XDAUT) OF V IE T Y . 



75 



Bishoj) Asbury. This devoted, laborious ser- 
vant of God and the church, whose journals 
tell us of labors, sufferings, and perils unpre- 
cedented in the history of the American church, 
gives us the following brief account of his con- 
version and entire sanctijication. He says : 
44 Some time after I had obtained a clear wit- 
ness of my acceptance with God, the Lord 
showed me the evils of my heart." Here are 
two facts stated, viz. ; a clear witness of con- 
version, and evils still remaining, of which he 
had a clear discovery. With this discovery of 
the evils of his heart, he says, 44 I want to be 
holy as he that calleth me is holy. My spirit 
mourns, and hungers, and thirsts after entire 
devotion." The blessing for which he mourned, 
and hungered, and thirsted, was received. 
Through unbelief, the evidence of the posses- 
sion of the blessing was lost. He hungers 
and thirsts for it again ; and on a certain day 
he says, 44 Last night the Lord re-sanctified 
my soul." Subsequent to this we hear him 
saying, u I am divinely impressed with a charge 
'o preach sanctification in every sermon." 



76 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



Bishop Whatcoat. This holy man of God 
describes his conversion in the following lan- 
guage : " I was reading the Scriptures, and 
when I came to these words, 1 The Spirit it- 
self beareth witness with our spirit that we 
are the children of God,' as I fixed my eyes 
upon them, in a moment my darkness was re- 
moved, and the Spirit did bear witness with 
my spirit that I was a child of God. In the 
same instant I was filled with unspeakable 
peace and joy in believing ; all fear of death, 
judgment, and hell suddenly vanished. Be- 
fore this, I was kept awake by anguish and 
fear, so that I could not get an hour's sound 
sleep in a night. Now I wanted no sleep, 
being abundantly refreshed by contemplating 
the rich display of God's mercy in adopting so 
unworthy a creature as me to be an heir of 
the kingdom of heaven." 

After this clear, unmistakable conversion, 
Mr. W. found many evils in his heart. Though 
converted, he was not yet cleansed from all 
unrighteousness. He did not backslide, but, 
as he declares, " his faith and love grew 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



77 



stronger ai d stronger." He says : " I soon 
found, that though I was justified freely, yet 
I was not wholly sanctified. This brought me 
into a deep concern, and confirmed my resolu- 
tion to admit of no peace nor truce with the 
evils which I still found in my heart. I was 
sensible that they both hindered ,me at pres- 
ent in my holy exercises, and that I could 
not enter into the joys of my Lord unless 
<"hey were all rooted out." 

The freedom which he so ardently sought 
he found, to the unspeakable joy of his heart. 
He says : " After many sharp and painful con- 
flicts, and many gracious visitations, also, on 
the 28th of March, 1761, my soul was drawn 
out and engaged in a manner it never was be- 
fore. Suddenly I was stripped of all but 
love. And in this happy state, rejoicing ever- 
more, and in every thing giving thanks, I con- 
tinued for some years with little intermission 
or abatement, wanting nothing for soul or 
oody more than I received from day to day." 
In this state he lived and died. 

Can this experience be explained in harmony 



78 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



with the notion that regeneration and entire 
sanctification are identical? In this experience 
we find, — 1. A clear conversion. 2. The re- 
mains of the carnal nature. 3. A deliverance 
from the evils remaining, as a distinct blessing, 
as clearly marked as conversion. 

Rev. Matthew Luwb. Mr: Lumb was a 
preacher of the Wesleyan connection, England. 
Of his conversion, he says: " In October, 1777. 
I was walking in the fields and thinking of 
my fate, and I judged myself to be in a worse 
condition than ever. I said, ' My heart is 
more hard, and my mind more blind, and I 
shall never find Him whom I seek.' I went 
home in the most dejected condition. When 
I got thither I found two persons standing be- 
fore the door of the house talking about re- 
ligion. One had known God's pardoning love 
for many years, and said to the other, " O, 
when you experience this change, every thing, 
yea, the creation itself, will appear new to 
you.' I stood at a distance and heard these 
vords, and said in my heart, 6 If this change 
is to be seen, and happiness to be felt, I am 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



79 



determined, by the grace of God, never to rest 
till I know it to be my experience.' I went 
immediately to a private place to pour out the 
anguish of my heart to God. I wrestled with 
the Lord a long time in earnest prayer, and 
felt myself more determined not to rest till I 
could rejoice in God my Saviour. O, what a 
view had I at that time of the misery of liv- 
ing, and the horror of dying, without an in- 
terest in the blood of the Lamb ! 

" Before I left the place I felt the power to 
say, 'Lord, I do believe, help thou my unbe- 
lief.' My soul was immediately relieved, and 
I went away with much ease in my mind. 
Soon after I went to meet a class, and while 
the people were speaking the state of their 
minds, the Lord, in tender mercy, cleared up 
my evidence ; every doubt and scruple fled 
away in a moment, and joy unspeakable filled 
my heart. My darkness was changed to spirit- 
ual light, heaviness into gladness, bondage into 
liberty, and the hell I had felt in my breast 
into a heaven of joy. The Lord made all 



6i) 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



means of grace as a river of broad waters to 
my soul." 

Here is one of those marked conversions, 
with regard to which there can be no doubt. 

While conscious of the divine approval, and 
btriving to please God., he soon found in his 
heart roots of bitterness which had not been 
removed ; clearly proving that though converted 
tie was not cleansed from all unrighteousness. 
He says : " While I was in possession of 
every thing that might help me forward to- 
wards heaven, and whilst I used all the means 
of grace, I was made more sensible of my cor- 
rupt nature ; only I felt that they kept me 
from rejoicing in the Lord, and sometimes 
brought me into heaviness. I felt U e root of 
anger that was ready to take fire at every con- 
tradiction ; of pride that was not willing to 
be any thing or nothing for Christ's sake ; of 
unbelief, which hindered me from relying 
steadfastly upon the promises of God, both 
tor temporals and spirituals. Tbese often 
caused me to feel slavish fear, and apprehen- 
sions of things which never came upon me. 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



81 



But I prayed earnestly, and watched constantly, 
that I might not be overcome by my enemies. 
I had many opportunities of meeting with 
those who loved God with their whole hearts, 
and many others who felt their want of it. 
At first I did not know what to do ; for I 
thought this blessing was out of my reach, 
and I must be many years older before I could 
enjoy it. But by laboring to keep my inward 
enemies in subjection, I felt a desire to have 
my heart filled with love to God and man. 
The more I prayed, read, and heard, the more 
I loved him, and the more I wanted to love 
him. I resolved not to rest until God had 
filled me with himself. I sought him day and 
night, and began to expect him every day. 
I sung the following verse almost every day : — 

« O, love divine, how sweet thou art ! 
When shall I find my willing heart 

All taken up by thee ? 
I thirst, I faint, I die to prove 
The greatness of redeeming love, 

The love of Christ in me.' 

" Thus my heart did truly pant after God aa 
the hart panteth after the water brooks, till 

6 



82 



THE NEV7 TESTAMENT 



the 10 th of October, 1778, in the evening, 
when, being earnest with the Lord in prayer, 
he manifested himself to me in such a manner 
as he had ne r er done before. 

4 He laid the rough paths of peevish nature even, 
And opened in my breast a little heaven.' 

" I had not the least doubt but he had 
taken out of my heart exeij thing contrary to 
iove, and I have never doubted it to this day." 
— Arminian Magazine, vol. xiv. pp. 518- 
520. 

Remarks are unnecessary, as this experience 
speaks for itself on all the points which this chap- 
ter is intended to illustrate. The account was 
written by request of Mr. Wesley, and pub- 
lished in the magazine of which he was editor, 
' showing his hearty indorsement of the doc- 
trine thus illustrated ; and proving, so far as 
experience can prove, that regeneration an<* 
entire sanctification are not identical. 

Thomas Kinley. An account is given in the 
Arminian Magazine for 1791, by Samuel 
Mitchell, of :he experience, life, and triumph- 
ant death of Thomas Kinley, from which we 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



83 



select the following, referring to his conversion 
and sanctification. He says : " About the lat- 
ter end of the year 1769„ he was led by cu- 
riosity to hear Rev. John Smith preach. The 
word was attended with divine illumination to 
his soul, which induced him to attend again 
for edification. Not long after it was attended 
with the power of God to the conviction of 
his conscience for the guilt of sin. In his 
distress he cried unto the Lord night and day, 
until one night, returning home from a 
prayer meeting, he began to reason thus with 
himself, — 6 Others have found peace with God 
in every age ; but I fear I never shall, for the 
door of mercy seems shut against me.' He 
then roared aloud through the disquietude of 
his spirit, and continued grovelling on the cold 
earth with tears, prayers, and cries to the 
Lord Jesus for several hours together, but re- 
ceived no satisfactory answer. At length, 
benumbed with cold, and wounded in spirit, 
he rose up and went home. There he could 
find no ease, and ran out of his house into 
his garden, where he kneeled down in tha 



64 THE NEW TESTAMENT 

♦ 

greatest agony, and poured out his soul in 
prayer, and continued so until he felt that all his 
tears and prayers could not merit a blessing 
at the hand of a righteous God. He then 
sunk under his load of misery and darkness, 
when in an instant Jesus spoke peace and love 
to his soul." 

In this happy state of mind he continued 
for some length of time, when God made 
known to him that his heart was not fully 
cleansed. His biographer says : " He went on 
his way rejoicing for about a fortnight after 
his justification, when, being at private prayer, 
the Lord deeply convinced him that there were 
sinful corruptions still remaining in his heart. 
The language of his heart then was, 

" 'Tis worse than death my God to love, % 
And not my God alone." 

"His soul now hungered and thirsted after 
the living God, and was as much distressed in 
seeking a clean heart as he had been in seek- 
ing pardon — only he did not feel guilt or the 
wrath of God upon his soui. He went on 
thus for s^me time, mourning, and attending 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 85 

all the means of grace. He almost fainted 
with holy thirsting and ardent desire, till in 
the time of his extremity God applied these 
words to his heart, — ' I will, be thou clean ; ■ 
and gave him the witnessing Spirit to testify 
that the work was wrought. He had never 
lost a jense of his acceptance with God, not- 
withstanding the great anguish he felt in seek- 
ing a clean heart. He then went on his way, 
rejoicing evermore, praying without ceasing, 
arid in every thing giving thanks. 

« Jesus ail the day long 
Was his joy and his song.' 

" All his words were in wisdom, and at' 
tended with a divine power ; and his actions 
and even tempers bore witness that he had 
union and fellowship with the Father and the 
Son, through the blessed Spirit. In short, his 
meekness and moderation were known unto a)l 
his acquaintance, and he continued to adorn 
the Christian character in this manner for near 
nineteen years," at which time he died of con- 
sumption. He gave evidence in his last hours 
that the perfect love of God, which he had 



86 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



professed for nineteen years, was still possessed 
by him. His biographer says : " He astonished 
all who visited him when they saw his resig- 
nation, mingled with pure zeal, lively faith, 
and perfect love, breathing through every word, 
and shining in his looks, when he lay silent 
through difficulty in breathing. " He went 
off in triumph of faith, full of hope and love, 
on Friday morning, the 20th of November, 
1789.*' 

Comment on the foregoing experience is 
needless. We find in it the strongest experi- 
mental confirmation of our position. Regener- 
ation and entire sanctif cation are not identical. 

We shall now proceed to an examination of 
the testimony of those whose names are more 
familiar to us, having lived nearer our times. 
Their experience on this subject has been 
given to the public, from which we shall take 
so much as is needful to illustrate our sub- 
ject. 

Bishop Hamline. This experience was orig- 
inally written by Bishop H. in the third per- 
son. We shall take the liberty to change it 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



from the third to the first person, and thus 
make the Bishop speak of himself, which he 
intended to do. 

Of his conversion he says : 44 So powerful 
was the work of God in my heart that my 
tongue was almost constantly employed in 
prayer and praise." In this state God revealed 
to him the evils of his heart — evils which re- 
generation had not removed. He says : 4i I 
saw that in my heart were the roots of many 
evils, which, though they could not grow while 
under the reign of grace, yet were ever ready 
to spring up under the least declinings of 
faith and love." In this condition he says : 
" I began to cry unto the Lord to deliver me 
from the remains of the carnal mind. I per- 
severed in almost unremitted cries for holi- 
ness." 

Having made the consecration, and believed 
for full salvation, he says : " All at once I felt 
as though a hand, not feeble, but omnipotent, 
not of wrath, but of love, was laid upon my 
prow. I felt it not only outwardly but in- 
wardly. It seemed to pass upon my whole 



68 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



being, and to diffuse all through and through 
it a holy, sin- o onsuming energy. As it passed 
downward, my heart as well as my head was 
conscious of the presence of this soul-cleans- 
ing energy, under the influence of which I 
fell to the floor. Still that hand of power 
wrought without and within ; and wherever it 
moved it seemed to leave the glorious impress 
of the Saviour's image. For a few minutes 
the deep of God's love swallowed me up — all 
its waves and billows rolled over me." — 
Riches of Grace. 

Many years passed after that baptism was 
received ; and though sickness prostrated the 
man of God, the baptism of fire still rested 
upon him, and to his life's end he witnessed 
that the " blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of 
God, cleanseth from all sin." 

This is not, however, exclusively a Metho- 
dist testimony. Men and women of all evan- 
gelical denominations have entered into this 
rest of faith, and have given their testimony in 
favor of entire sanctification, attainable in this 
life. 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



We call the attention of the reader to the 
recorded experience of 

Prof. Upham. Mr. U. was favorably known 
in the philosophical and Christian world. From 
his experience, written by himself, we select so 
much as is necessary to illustrate our position. 
Of his conversion he says : " God had given 
me great blessings, such as a new sense of 
forgiveness, increased love, a clear evidence of 
adoption and sonship, close and deeper com- 
munion with himself.' ' It seems from this 
statement, that when he commei ^ed seeking 
the blessing of entire sanctification he pos- 
sessed a clear, unmistakable consciousness of 
pardon and regeneration. But with this con- 
sciousness he complains of the evils of his 
heart. He says : "I do not know that I was 
ever more troubled. The remains of every 
form of internal opposition to God appeared 
to be centred in one point — selfishness.'' 9 But 
he cried unto the strong for strength. His 
faith triumphed, and from the midst of this 
conflict he exclaims, " Thou hast given me 
the victory." "I was never able before that 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



time to say, with, sincerity and confidence, that 
I loved my heavenly Father with all my 
strength. But, aided by divine grace I have 
been enabled to use this language, which in- 
volves, as I understand it, the true idea of 
Christian perfection or holiness, both then and 
ever since. There was no intellectual excite- 
ment, no very marked joy, when I reached 
this great rock of practical salvation. But I 
was distinctly conscious when I reached it." 

President Mahan. This eminent divine, aftei 
having experienced a change of heart, had 44 a 
desire, inexpressibly strong, to be freed from 
all sin in every form, and to be entirely con- 
secrated to the love and service of God, in all 
the powers and susceptibilities of my beirg." 
For this he labored earnestly. Over the cor- 
ruptions of his heart he wept, but knew not 
how to break the chain. In this condition he 
says : "I set my heart, by prayer and suppli- 
cation to God, to find the light after which I 
had been so long seeking. 

44 In tnis state I visited one of my associ- 
ates in the work, and disclosed to him tne 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



91 



burden which had weighed down my mind for 
bo many years. I asked him if he could tell 
me the secret of the piety of Paul, and tell 
me the reason of the strong contrast between 
.he apostle's experience and my own. In la- 
boring for the salvation of men I observed 
that my feelings often remained unmoved and 
unaffected, while Paul w r as constantly 6 con- 
strained ' by the love of Christ. Our conver- 
sation then turned upon the passage, 4 The 
love of Christ constraineth us,' &c. While 
thus employed my heart leaped up in ecstasy 
indescribable, with the exclamation, 4 I have 
found it.' I have now, by the grace of God, 
discovered the secret after which I had been 
searching these many years." 

The great mistake into which Mr. Mahan 
had fallen, he describes as follows : — 

44 When I thought of my guilt and need of 
justification, I had looked tc Christ exclu- 
sively, as I ought to have ctone." But 44 for 
sanctification, on the other hand, to overcome 
the 4 world, the flesh, and the devil,' I had 
depended mainly upon my own resolutions. I 



92 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



ought to have locked to Christ for sanctifica- 
tion as much as for justification, and for the 

same reason." . - 

Mr. M. describes a manifestation of Christ 
which he had at this time, as follows : " In a 
moment of deep and solemn thought, the veil 
seemed to be lifted, and I had a vision of the 
infinite glory and love of Christ, as manifested 
in the mysteries of redemption. I will not at- 
tempt to describe the effect of that vision 
upon my mind. All that I would say is, that 
in view of it my heart melted and flowed out 
like water. From that time I have desired to 
' know nothing but Jesus Christ and him cru- 
cified.' I have literally 4 esteemed all things 
but loss for the excellency of the knowledge 
of Christ Jesus my Lord,' and the knowledge 
of Christ has been eternal life begun in my 
heart." — Mohan on Christian Perfection, pp. 
182, 187. 

Mrs. Upliam. This lady's experience has 
very much of interest in it. We make but a 
few quotations, illustrative of the point at 
issue. While seeking entire sanctitieatiou sha 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



93 



had a clear evidence of pardon. She says : 
" I had been conscious in weeks prior to this 
state of love of the Spirit's power in my 
heart." Still she was dissatisfied with her 
state of grace, and panted for the fulness of 
God. She was " pleading this promise, 4 Blessed 
are they who hunger and thirst after righteous- 
ness, for they shall be filled,' kneeling before 
God with the words on her lips," when she 
" felt a sweet assurance that her prayer was 
heard." She says : " It came gently, yet pow- 
erfully and overpowering ; it was like a mighty 
rushing wind in my soul, extending itself ^ 
through all my bodily frame. I said, 4 Lord, 
I am thine, entirely thine ; come life or come 
death, I am wholly consecrated to thee.' " — 
Riches of Grace. 

Merle cTAubigne. The great historian of 
the Reformation was converted to God at Ge- 
neva. He records his conversion in these 
words : " I had been seized by the word of 
Gcd ; I had believed in the divinity of Christ ; 
in original sin, the power of which I had ex- 
perienced in my own heart ; and in justifica- 



94 THE NEW TESTAMENT 

tion by faith. I had experienced the joys of 
the new birth." 

From this period in his experience he sighed 
for a clean heart, and sought it earnestly. At 
an inn in Kiel, while on his way to Copenha- 
gen, in company with Rev. Frederick Monod 
and Rev. Charles Rieu, he received the great 
blessing which he had so long sought. They were 
carefully studying the Epistle to the Ephesians, 
and had got to the end of the third chapter. 
Mr. D'Aubigne says : " When we read the 
two last verses, c Now unto him who is able 
to do exceeding abundantly above all that we 
ask or think, according to the power that 
worketh in us, unto him be glory,' &c, this 
expression fell upon my soul as a revelation 
from God. ' He can do by his power,' I said 
to myself, i above all we ask, above all even 
that we think, nay, exceeding abundantly, 
above all ! ' A full trust in Christ for the work 
to be done within my poor heart now filled my 
soul. W e all three knelt down ; and although 
i had never fully confided my inward struggles 
to my friends, the prayer of Rieu was filled 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



95 



with such admirable faith, as he would have 
uttered had he known all my wants. When I 
arose in that inn room at Kiel, I felt as if my 
' wings were renewed as the wings of eagles.' 
From that time forward I comprehended that 
all my own efforts were of no avail ; that 
Christ was able to do all by his 6 power that 
worketh in us,' and the habitual attitude of 
my soul was to lie at the foot of the cross, 
crying to him, 4 Here am I, bound hand and 
foot, unable to move, unable to do the least 
thing to get away from the enemy who op- 
presses me. Do all thyself. I know that thou 
wilt do it. Thou wilt even do exceeding abun- 
dantly above all that I ask/ All my doubts 
were removed, my anguish quelled, and the 
Lord extended to me peace as a river. Then 
I could comprehend with all saints what is 
the breadth, and length, and depth, and 
height ; and know the love of Christ which 
passeth knowledge. Then was I able to say, 
4 Return unto thy rest, C my soul : for the 
Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.' " * 

*See experiences of Rev. Alfred Cookman and Rev. Daniel 
Steele, D.D., in Appendix. 



*6 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



We must conclude the present chapter, not 
for want of material, but space. We have 
kept in view the following facts : — 

1. An unmistakable conversion. Our wit- 
nesses are all explicit on this point. 

2. Remaining corruption of heart after con- 
version ; not resulting from backsliding, but 
showing itself when the soul was conscious of 
pardon and progress in grace. 

3. Conscious deliverance from remaining 
corruption ; the deliverance being as great, 
and the evidence as unmistakable, as at conver- 
sion. 

If, then, the personal experience of these 
witnesses is reliable, we have clearly proved 
that regeneration and entire s an ctifi cation are 
not identical. 

In the following chapter we shall consider 
some objections to this testimony. 



STANDARD OP PIETY. 



CHAPTER V. 

OBJECTIONS TO THE ARGUMENT FROM EX- 
PERIENCE. 

" It brings a calm, a Christ-like peace, 
'Mid inward music sweetly flowing - y 
It whispers, * Free and sovereign grace 
This heavenly breeze is now bestowing.' 

" I feel it, ay, most mild and sweet, 

In charming movements gliding o'er me, 
It circles round my heart's retreat 
And fans away the mists before me. 

" It is not fancy that deludes, 

'Tis no impulsive flight of feeling, 
'Tis no illusion that intrudes, 
But 'tis the Holy Spirit's stealing." 




still think," says Mr Wesley, " to dis- 
believe all the professors amounts to a 



denial of the thing. For if there he no living 
witnesses of what we have preached for twenty 
years, I cannot, dare not, preach it any longer. 
The whole comes to one point, Is there, or is 
there not, any instantaneous sanct7*ncation he- 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



tween justification and death? I say, Yes 
You (often seem to) say, No. What argu< 
ments brought you to think so ? Perhaps 
they may convince me too." — Works, vol. vi. 
p. 669. 

tc I am at my wit's end with regard to two 
things, — the church and Christian perfection. 
Unless both you and I stand in the gap in 
good earnest, the Methodists will drop them 
both. Talking will not avail. We must do 01 
be borne away. Will you set shoulder to 
shoulder ? If so, think deeply upon the mat- 
ter, and tell me what can be done." — John to 
Charles Wesley: Works, vol. vi. p. 671. 

We shall proceed to consider some objec- 
tions to the doctrine which we have attempted 
"to vindicate in the foregoing pages. 

1. It is objected that nothing can be proved 
by experience. We are liable to be deceived 
in our emotions. Those whose emotional na- 
tures are highly impressible, are not reliable 
in matters of this kind. The men of '43 had 
the witness that the world would er d on s 
given day, &c. 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



99 



If this argument be good, then Hume'- great 
argument against miracles, which has been re- 
garded as more ingenious than common sense, 
is not so far out of the way after all. 

Are we prepared to deny the " witness of the 
Spirit " because some have been mistaken in 
their experience ? Is this the logic — The Mil- 
lerites" professed to have the witness of the 
Spirit that the world would end in '43, and 
were mistaken, therefore no man can know 
that his sins are forgiven, and his heart cleansed ? 
If this is the logic, let us no longer preach or 
sing, 

" The Spirit answers to the blood, 
And tells me I am born of God." 

To have the witness of the Spirit to an ab- 
stract dogma or fact, and His witness to the 
work of grace wrought in the heart by tne 
power of God, are two things. God gives u» 
no warrant for the one, while he gives u& 
abundant assurance for the other. 

Suppose I should affirm that I had the witness 
of the Spirit that the prophet Elijah ivas fed by 
birds, and it should prove in the end that he was 



100 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



fed by Arabs, as Dr Clark affirms ; and thai 
trie fish that swallowed Jonah was not a whale, 
but a shark ; and in the end it should appear 
that I was mistaken ; would my mistake be a 
sufficient reason for denying the fact of the 
witness of the Spirit to my personal salvation ? 

Suppose I should affirm that I had the wit- 
ness of the Spirit that the identity of the res- 
urrection body will consist in the same kind 
of elementary matter, combined in the same 
proportions, and having the same form and 
structure ; and it should be found that its 
identity consisted in a sameness of particles, 
and I am mistaken ; would my mistake be a 
justifiable pretext for denying the fact that the 
Spirit may witness with my spirit that I am a 
child of God ? The same may be affirmed of 
the end of the world. 

Those who professed to have the witness of 
the Spirit that the world would end on a given 
vear or day, claimed such witness to an occur- 
rence, with regard to which God had declared 
they should not know. It had reference to an 
abstract dogma, which had no connection witb 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



101 



consciousness ; hence the absurdity of suppos- 
ing that a man could have any assuranca of it, 
further than what God had revealed in his 
word. 

But, with regard to our personal salvation, 
God has declared that we may be conscious of 
it. It is an inward change, wrought by the 
Holy Spirit. It cannot be misunderstood. So 
we teach, and so we believe. 

Ignorance of the nature of the object sought 
may lead us into mistakes with regard to the 
necessary evidence, but this does not disprove 
the doctrine for which we contend, nor an in- 
telligent evidence of it. 

The testimony in favor of full salvation, at- 
tainable in this life, seems clear and conclu- 
sive. The Bible and experience harmonize. 
The character and number .of the witnesses are 
such as to place their testimony above suspi- 
cion. They are living epistles, and though 
dead they yet speak. Not only did Enoch, 
Noah, Abraham, David, Asa, Isai'ih, Zacharias 
and Elizabeth, Nathaniel, John, P&al, and Tim- 
othy enjoy it, but it was the theory and ex- 



102 THE NEW TESTAMENT 

perience of Wesley, Fletcher, Benson, Bram- 
well, Carvosso, Smith, Mrs. Fletcher, Hester 
Ann Rogers, Lady Maxwell, Asbury, What- 
coat, George, Merritt, Fisk, Olin, and thou- 
sands more of modern times. These were not 
mere camp-meeting professors of sanctiflcation, 
(as some are pleased to insinuate of professors 
of holiness,) but men and women whose whole 
lives were living illustrations of what they 
professed. 

The time was when the witness of the 
Spirit to our adoption was stoutly denied. It 
was claimed that we could not know our sins 
forgiven in this life, although the Bible seemed 
to teach another sentiment. But tens of thou- 
sands sought the witness of their adoption, 
and found it; which fact has shed so much 
light on the teachings of the Bible, that very 
few are found among evangelical Christians who 
have any doubt on the subject. Ought not 
our experience in entire sanctification to have 
as much weight ? Is not a denial of the 
latter a virtual denial of the former? No 
ytronger evidence can be produced from 



STANDARD CF PIETY. 



103 



he Bible or experience for the one than for 
iie other. 

We understand the objection, that experience 
iS not sufficient to prove a doctrine unsup- 
ported by Scripture ; that madmen and enthu- 
siasts of every kind have imagined such a 
witness, etc. 

We do not attempt any such illogical method 
of argumentation. But with Mr. Wesley, who 
was a master logician, we do say, " Experi- 
ence is sufficient to confirm a doctrine which 
is grounded on Scripture." For this reason 
we have drawn so largely upon experience. 
The doctrine, as we have shown, is a Bible 
doctrine, and the testimony which we have in- 
troduced is confirmatory of that doctrine. 

We claim, then, that the objection is not 
well founded, and ought not to be entertained. 
Every one should test the truth for themselves, 
then shall they know that these witnesses speak 
truthfully. 

2. It is claimed that those professing entire 
sanctification are only reclaimed from a back- 
slidden state. 



104 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



We have no doubt but many, professing to 
be entirely sanctified, are of this character; 
hence the short-lived work. But it is still true 
that many are not in this state. 

I once read a book, (I will not even name 
the title or author,) in which the writer 
gave it as his opinion, that Fletcher, Carvosso 
Bramwell, and others, had backslidden when 
they professed to receive the blessing of entire 
sanctification. Shame should keep such a man 
from any public exhibition of himself. No 
man, who is not determined to sustain a pet 
dogma at the expense of reason and truth, will 
make such an affirmation. The faith of the 
church has fully settled that question. 

The reader must have seen this objection 
fully refuted by the testimony introduced in 
the last chapter. Hear what our witnesses 
say on this point. 

Of Mr. Bramwell it is said : " Bein s obe- 
dient to the teaching* of the Spirit/' — not 
backsliding, as some would have it. — " it was 
not long before he was convinced of the ne« 
ceggity of a further work of grace upon his 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



105 



*ieart." He says: "I sought it carefully 
with tears, and entreaties, and sacrifices.' 
Every one must see that there is no evi- 
dence of backsliding here. Progress was his 
motto. 

Mr. Hunter says he felt his great unlike- 
ness to God and his law. Still, " I felt no 
condemnation. 0, how I longed to be made 
like him — to love him with all my heart, 
soul, mind, and strength." There seems to 
be no evidence here of backsliding. 

After a remarkable conversion, Hester Ann 
Rogers says : " The Lord began to reveal in 
my heart that sin was not all destroyed ; 
for though I had constant victory over it, 
yet I felt the remains of anger, pride, self- 
will, and unbelief often rising, which occa- 
sioned a degree of heaviness and sorrow. 
At first I was much amazed to feel such 
things, and often tempted to think I had 
lost a measure of grace ; yet when I looked 
to the Lord, or when even I approached 
him in secret, he shed his precious love 
abroad, and bare witness with my spirit that 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



I was still his child. Yea, and at this time 1 
received many remarkable answers to prayer, 
many proofs of his undoubted love and good- 
ness to my soul, and I ever felt I would rather 
die than offend him." 

Here is a witness of undoubted veracity, who 
affirms that she did not backslide, but was 
continually gaining victories over sin. 

We would ask the reader to re-read the 
experience of Bishop Whatcoat, Matthew Lumb, 
Thomas Kinley, and Bishop Hamline. 

Whatever may be said of many who profess 
to enjoy entire sanctification, the witnesses we 
have introduced were not backslidden when 
"they commenced seeking the fulness of the 
Spirit. 

"Others have thought," says Rev. Mr. 
Boardman, " to solve the problem by calling 
the second experience simply a return from 
backsliding. But in each of the cases given 
we have the testimony of the witnesses them- 
selves that it was more than thus ; a deeper 
work of grace, a fuller apprehension of Christ, 
a more complete and abiding union with him 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



107 



<han at the first. The witnesses themselvea 
being judges in their own case, this solution 
is not the true one. We must go deeper for 
it. Thousands in every age since the primi- 
tive, have backslidden and returned again with- 
out any such great and permanent advancement 
in the divine life, as that set forth in the ex- 
amples before us." " There is vastly more in 
such an experience, than return from back- 
sliding ! Then, too, above and beyond all 
this, it is never the returning backslider who 
comes into the fulness of this experience. In 
deed, if backsliding and returning would really 
bring men into this gospel fulness, pity but 
the whole church would backslide and return. 
It would be a grand thing for the cause of 
Christ, and for their own comfort and jo^. 
The backslider returns only to the point at- 
tained when he turned back at most, and hard 
struggling for that ! But the work in question 
is a higher height, and a deeper depth, in the 
comprehension both of the love of Christ which 
passeth knowledge, and of the way of salva- 
tion by faith." — The Higher Christian Life. 



r08 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



Tt seems to us that this objection cannot be 
entertained by an intelligent, honest mind, but 
must be induced by a strong desire to sustain 
a favorite dogma, though it be at the expense 
of well-established facts. There are thousands 
who tell us daily that it is in harmony with 
the work of God in their hearts. Let us 
credit their testimony, and test the truth of 
the doctrine as they have done ; then will our 
doubts be removed. 

3. It is claimed that those professing holi- 
ness are no better, if as good, as those who 
make no such professions. 

If the objector should say, a Many profess- 
ing to enjoy the blessing of holiness, give no 
better evidence of entire sanctification than 
many who make no such professions," the 
statement would doubtless be correct. He 
might further say, that many professing to be 
justified give no better evidence of justifica- 
tion than many who make no such profession. 
But what would ail this prove ? Simply that 
some persons profess what they do not enjoy. 
This is as true of those professing regeneration 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



109 



as of those professing entire sanctification. But 
is this a sufficient reason for denying the doc- 
trine ? If so, we are as much bound to deny 
regeneration as sanctification. The argument 
proves too much, and hence proves nothing. 

But does not this objection come with an 
ill grace from those who claim that regenera- 
tion and entire sanctification are identical ? 
They believe that our Standard of Piety is 
correct. The difference is this: We believe 
the Standard is reached subsequent to conver- 
sion, they believe the same point is gained at 
conversion. They profess to believe in holi- 
ness, and that every man is entirely sanctified 
at conversion. They also claim that every man 
who is not sanctified wholly is not a Chris- 
tian. 

In the light of these views, why complain 
of those who profess holiness ? Do not the 
very men who thus complain, make the loudest 
professions of holiness? Consider the follow- 
ing plain, unanswerable statements, on the as- 
sumption that the two works are identical : — 

(1.) Every man must believe in Christian 



no 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



perfection who believes that regeneration and 
entire sanctification are one. 

(2.) Every man must enjoy Christian perfec- 
tion who enjoy ' religion, if the two works are 
identical. 

(3.) Every man ^'tf/esses Christian perfec- 
tion who professes religion, if the two works 
are the same. 

(4.) Every man must enjoy Christian perfec- 
tion, or be a child of the devil, it the two works 
are one in point of time. 

(5.) Every man who complains of a profes- 
sion of Christian perfection, must, to be con- 
sistent, complain of a profession of religion, 
if the two works are experienced at one and 
the same time. 

These simple propositions must be admitted 
by every unprejudiced mind. If they be true, 
why complain of those professing holiness ? 
Does not the objector profess the same thing 
in professing religion ? We are sure this objec- 
tion has its origin in a state of heart ill-becom- 
ing a professed servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

4. Mr. Wesley's views on this subject are 



STANDARD OF PIEL'?. 



Ill 



very clear. I introduce them here, mere for the 
purpose of answering an objection to them, 
than to give a full exhibition of them. This 
we reserve for another chapter. 

Mr. Wesley contends for the distinction be- 
tween justification and entire sanctification. 
" The new birth," he says, " is not the same 
with sanctification. I believe justification to 
be wholly distinct from sanctification, and ne- 
cessarily antecedent to it." Vol. iii. p. 154. 
u I carefully examined," he says, c * in London 
alone, six hundred and fifty-two members of 
our. society who were exceeding clear in their 
experience, and of whose testimony I could 
see no reason to doubt." He further states 
that " some of the most unquestionable wit- 
nesses of sanctifying grace were sanctified 
within a few days after they were justified. 

We once asked a prominent advocate of the 
dogma we oppose, how he accounted for Wes- 
ley's views on this subject ? He replied can- 
didly, but with how much propriety the reader 
must judge. " Mr. Wesley," he said, " was 
a strong, ardent Churchman. He believed that 



112 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



(he members of the Establishment were all 
Christians ; while the most of them had never 
been converted. Many of them were converted 
under Mr. Wesley's preaching, and he, regard- 
ing them as converted before, looked upon this 
as a second blessing, or entire sanctification. 
In this way he came to believe that there was 
a distinction between regeneration and entire 
sanctification." 

The brother seemed to regard this as a com- 
mon sense solution of the difficulty. 

Now this would do very well if two things 
could be proved, viz. : — 

(1.) That none had such an experience who 
were converted under Mr. Wesley's preaching 
- except Churchmen. 

(2.) That those professing to have such an 
experience in sanctification had not a prior ex- 
. perience in regeneration. 

If these things could be proved, the theory 
would do very well ; but the facts make sad 
havoc of both. 

(1.) There were tens of thousands converted 
to God under Mr. Wesley's preaching who 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



113 



*^re never members of the Establishment. 
They were as wild and irreligious as the Arab 
of the desert. Among this class are to be 
found some of the brightest examples of Chris- 
tian holiness. 

(2.1 The person^ whose experience Mr. Wes- 
ley records were first converted under his 
preaching ; after which they had a clear ex- 
perience in entire sanctification. Mr. "Wesley 
examined them, and found no reason to doubt 
their experience. If he did not doubt, why 
should we? Here, then, we claim that the 
facts are all ? gainst our good brother's theory. 
The more closely he examines the facts, the 
more fully will he find that they demolish his 
theory. Mr. Wesley had the facts before him, 
and to be deceived in the manner suggested 
is a sad reflection upon his good sense. 

We close tVis chapter with a remark upon 
this subject fvzm Dr. Upham. 

" The distinction which is made in the Scrip- 
tures between the two, is regarded so obvious 
and incontrovertible by most writers, that it 
has naturally passed as an established truth 



114 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



into treatises on theology. It is also recog- 
nized almost constantly in sermons and in re- 
ligious exhortations and conversation. There 
is, perhaps, as much unanimity among religious 
men on this subject as on almost any subject 
of theological inquiry. And the attempt to 
confound justification and sanctification together, 
which has been made from time to time, would 
necessarily tend, if it were successful, to per- 
plex and confuse the established forms of 
speech among men, as well as the authorized 
and scriptural modes of religious thought." — 
Interior Life, p. 174. 

There are other objections urged against our 
positions, but the foregoing are the most im- 
portant, and the limits of our work will not 
admit of a further examination of them at 
this point. 



STAND ABB OF PIETY. 



115 



CHAPTER VI. 
THE DISTINCTION DEFINED. 

«« When wilt thou my whole heart subdue i 
Come, Lord, and form my soul anew ; 

Emptied of pride, and wrath, and hell ; 
Less than the least of all thy store 
Of mercies, I myself abhor ; 
All, all my vileness may 1 feel. 

" Humble, and teachable, and mild, 
O, may I, as a little child, 

My lowly Master's steps pursue ! 
Be anger to my soul unknown, 
Hate, envy, jealousy, be gone, 
In love create thou all things new. 

M Let earth no more my heart divide ; 
With Christ may I be crucified ; 

To thee with my whole heart aspire ; 
Dead to the world and all its toys, 
Its idle pomp and fading joys, 
Be thou alone my one desire." 

E shall, in this chapter, so far as we 
are able, point out the distinction 
between regeneration and entire sanctijication. 
This is a subject with regard to which great 
indefiniteness and confusion exists in many 




!!5 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



minds. Man} see men only as trees walkings 
and doubt because of imperfect knowledge. 

Dr. Upham has well said : " If the idea 
should become prevalent that justification and 
sanctification are the same thing, it would in- 
volve the subject of sanctification, and perhaps 
that of justification, in much confusion." 

The Doctor makes the distinction to consist 
in the following particulars : — 

1. " Justification, while it does not exclude 
the present, has special reference to the past. 
Sanctification, on the contrary, starting on the 
basis of justification, and regarding the past 
as cancelled and settled in the justificatory ap- 
plication of the atonement, has practically an 
exclusive reference to the present and future. 
Justification inquires, How shall the sin which 
is past be forgiven ? Sanctification inquires, 
How shall we be kept from sin in time to 
come ? 

2. " Justification, in its results upon individ- 
uals, removes the condemnatory power or guilt 
of sin ; whi."e sanctification removes the power 
of sin itself He who is justified no longer 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



117 



stands in a state of condemnation in relation 
to all those past sins from which he is justi- 
fied ; but he that is sanctified is freed from 
the influence of that which brings condemna- 
tion, viz., sin itself." 

Mr. Wesley says : " Justification is another 
word for pardon. It is the forgiveness of all 
our sins, and, what is necessarily implied 
therein, our acceptance with God." "Justifi- 
cation expels the love of the world, the love 
of pleasure, of ease, of honor, of money ; to- 
gether with pride, anger, self-will, and every 
other evil temper." " How naturally do those 
who experience such a change imagine that all 
sin is gone, that it is utterly rooted out of the 
heart, and has no more any place therein. How 
easily do they draw that inference, — I feel no 
sin, therefore I have none : it does not stir, 
therefore it does not exist : it has no motion, 
therefore it has no being!" He further says 
that "sin remains in him; yea, the see'd of 
all sin, till he is sanctified throughout." 

Sanctification is " love, joy, peace, always 
abiding ; but invariable long-suffering, patience, 



118 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



resignation ; gentleness, triumphing over all 

provocation ; goodness, mildness, sweetness, 
tenderness of spirit ; fidelity, simplicity, godly 
sincerity ; meekness, calmness, evenness of 
spirit ; temperance, not only in food and sleep, 
but in all things natural and spiritual." 

Mr. W. then puts the question, " Have we 
not all this when we are justified ?" 

" What," he replies, " total resignation to 
the will of God without any mixture of self- 
will ? gentleness, without any touch of anger, 
even the moment we are provoked ? love to 
God, without the least love to the creature, 
but in and for God, excluding all pride? love 
to man, excluding all envy, all jealousy, and 
rash judging? meekness, keeping the whole 
soul inviolably calm ? and temperance, in all 
things ? Deny that any ever came up to this, 
if you please, but do not say all who are jus- 
tified do. 9 

If any really come up to this experience who 
are newly justified, " I will say," says Mr. 
Wesley, " they are sanctified, saved from sin 
in that moment. But certainly this is an ex* 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



119 



empt case. It is otherwise with the generality 
of those that are justified." 

Such is briefly Mr. Wesley's view of thig 
subject. Some claim that his description of 
justification involves that of sanctification ; but 
a careful examination of the subject will con- 
vince all that this is not the case. Mr. W. 
speaks of justification expelling the love of 
the world, pleasure, ease, &c. ; but not all 
love of the world ; all love of pleasure ; all 
love of ease, &c. When he speaks of sancti- 
fication, it is 46 love to God without the least 
love of the creature; love to man, excluding 
all envy," &c. Mr. Wesley believed that all 
the fruits of the Spirit existed in regeneration, 
but not as in sanctification. One was the 
work begun, the other was the work com- 
pleted. With this distinction in view, Mr. 
Wesley speaks clearly. 

Bishop Hedding says : " The difference be- 
tween a justified soul whb is not fully sancti- 
fied, and one fully sanctified, I understand to 
oe this : ■ — 

" The first (if he does not backslide) la 



120 THE NEW TESTAMENT 

kept from voluntarily committing known sid, 
which is wha ; is commonly meant in the New 
Testament by committing sin. But he yet 
finds in himself the remains of inbred corrup- 
tion or original sin ; such as pride, anger, envy, 
a feeling of hatred to an enemy, a rejoicing at 
a calamity which has fallen upon an enemy, &c. 

" Now in all this the regenerate soul does 
not act voluntarily ; his choice is against all 
these evils ; God has given him a new heart 
which hates all these evils, and resists and 
overcomes them as soon as the mind perceives 
them. Though the Christian does not feel 
guilty for this depravity as he would do if he 
had voluntarily broken the law of God, yet he 
is often grieved and afflicted, and reproved at 
a sight of this sinfulness of his nature. 

"Though the soul in this state enjoys a de- 
gree of religion, yet it is conscious it is not 
what it ought to be, nor what it mus> be to 
be fit for heaven. 

" The second, or person fully sanctified, 
is cleansed from all these inward involuntary 
sins. 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



121 



" He may be tempted by Satan, by men, 
and by his own bodily appetites to commit 
sin, but his heart is free from these inward 
fires, which, before his full sanctiflcation, were 
ready to fall in with temptation and lead him 
into transgression. He may be tempted to be 
proud, to love the world, to be revengeful or 
angry, to hate an enemy, to wish him evil, or 
to rejoice at his calamity, but he feels none of 
these passions in his heart; the Holy Ghost 
has cleansed him from all these pollutions of 
his nature. Thus it is that, being emptied of 
sin, the perfect Christian is filled with the 
love of God, even with that perfect love which 
caste ch out fear." — Sermon preached before the 
New Jersey Conference, 1841, and published 
by vote of the Conference. 

This is so plain that the child may under- 
stand it, and so much in harmony with Chris- 
tian experience that comment is unnecessary. 

Bishop Hamline, who may be regarded as 
good authority on this subject, has illustrated 
this point as follows : — 

" Regeneration is like breaking up tlie fal- 



122 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



low ground and sowing it with wheat, in the 
growth of which there springs up tares. It is 
a mixed moral state. Sanctiflcation is like 
weeding the soul, or gathering the tares and 
burning them, so that nothing remains to grow 
there but good seed. Connected with this il- 
lustration, the growth of the soul in the 
graces of regeneration and of sanctiflcation 
will be easily understood. In regeneration a 
spiritual growth is like the slow r progress of 
the wheat, choked and made sickly by the in- 
termingling weeds. The wheat represents the 
graces of religion, and the weeds our remain- 
ing corruptions. Entire sanctiflcation removes 
them, roots them out of the heart, and leaves 
it a pure moral soil. Then the graces of the 
Spirit have an uninterrupted growth, except as 
the violence of Satan's temptations, like a tem- 
pest on a desolated field, may interpose." — 
Riches of Grace, p. 16. 

After as careful an examination of the sub- 
ject as our limited abilities and experience 
would permit, we can give no clearer descrip- 
tion of the two states than the following : — 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



123 



1. In conversion sin does not reign,, in sanc- 
tification, it does not exist. 

2. In conversion, irregular desires, — anger^ 
pride, unbelief, envy, etc., — are repressed; in 
sanctification they are removed. 

3. Conversion is salvation from the volun- 
tary commission of sin ; sanctification is sal- 
vation from the in-being of sin. 

4. Conversion is the old man bound ; sancti- 
fication is the old man cast out and spoiled of 
his goods. 

5. Conversion is sanctification begun ; entire 
sanctification is the work completed. 

We know not how we can make the matter 
more plain and simple. 

Rev. W. Arthur has some striking illustra- 
tions of this distinction. He says, — 

" A piece of iron is dark and cold ; im- 
bued with a certain degree of heat, it becomes 
almost burning without any change of appear- 
ance : imbued with a still greater degree, its 
very appearance changes to that of solid fire, 
and it sets fire to whatever it touches. A 
piece of water without heat is solid and brittle, 



124 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



gently warmed it flows ; further heated it 
mounts to the sky. An organ, filled with the 
ordinary degree of air which exists every 
where, is dumb ; the touch of the player can 
elicit but a clicking of the keys. Throw in 
not another air, but an unsteady current of 
the same air, and sweet, but imperfect and un- 
certain notes immediately respond to the play- 
er's touch ; increase the current to a full 
supply, and every pipe swells with music. 
Such is the soul without the Holy Ghost, and 
such are the changes which pass upon it when 
it receives the Holy Ghost, and when it is 
filled with the Holy Ghost." — Tongue of Fire, 
p. 61. 

" With most persons," says Rev L. Lee, 44 it 
may be presumed that their view of the whole 
subject, at the time of their conversion, may 
be expressed in these few words : 4 1 am a 
sinner lost ; Christ is a Saviour who died to 
save me ; able 'and willing to save now. 
Lord, for Christ's sake, save me this moment.' 
Suosequently, the necessity of a deeper work 
is seen and felt. At any time when the in- 



STANDARD OY PIETY. 



\25 



telligence comprehends what is wanting to 
constitute a state of entire sanctification, and 
faith is exercised, the work will be finished." 

What we have further to say upon this 
point will be said in answer to objections 
urged against the doctrine advocated in this 
chapter. To these objections we call the read* 
er's attention in the following chapter. 



126 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



CHAPTER VII. 
THE DISTINCTION DEFENDED. 

" As was my faith so was I blest 
With perfect love and perfect rest, 

For all within was pure ; « 
In and around me all was God } 
On the highway thrown up I trod, 

And every step was sure." 

" Rock of ages cleft for me, 
Let me hide myself in thee j 
Be of sin the double cure, 
Save from wrath aD«i make me pure." 




HERE have been objections urged against 
the doctrine of the last chapter, which 



we now propose to answer. 

1. It is objected, that the presentatim of 
entire sanctijication as a distinct work is cal- 
culated to disparage justification. 

We were never able to see the force of this 
objection. If sanctification, as taught in the 
Standard of Christian doctrine, be true, it 
should be preached, if it should disparage other 



STANDARD OF PIETY* 



127 



doctrines. But this is not the case. Justifica- 
tion is no more disparaged by a faithful pre- 
sentation of sanctification, than is sanctification 
by an exclusive presentation of justification. 
Why should it be, if they are both of God ? 

Does the teacher disparage the alphabet by 
urging the pupil to leave it and proceed to 
combine letters into syllables, and syllables into 
words, and words into sentences, and sentences 
into discourses ? Does the instructor disparage 
the axioms of mathematics by urging the stu- 
dent to leave them and proceed to construct 
his demonstrations ? Does the architect dispar- 
age the foundation by leaving ii to erect a 
beautiful superstructure thereon? If the ob- 
jection urged against our doctrine be sound, 
they would be open to such charges. 

It is no disparagement of the alph bet that 
the pupil thinks more highly of the finished 
discourse than of the letters of which it is 
composed. Still, without the letters first 
learned, he knows that no such discourse 
could have been produced. It is no dispar- 
agement of the axioms that the demonstra- 



128 



THE NEW TESTAAfEXT 



tions are regarded with greater interest, foi 
the mathematician knows that no such results 
could have been reached without their aid. 

It is no disparagement of a foundation that 
the superstructure is more highly prized, when 
it is clearly understood that the superstructure 
derives much of its permanency from the foun- 
dation on which it rests. 

So with justification and sanctification It 
is no disparagement of justification that sancti- 
fication occupies a place in Christian experience 
that God never assigned to justification. The 
one is to the other what the foundation is to 
the superstructure ; what the alphabet is to the 
language. Sanctification completes what justi- 
fication so gloriously begins, as the superstruc- 
ture completes what was so well beguo with 
the foundation. 

Must we stop with the foundation, fearing 
that a beautiful superstructure thereon will 
disparage it ? Shall we cease presenting the 
subject of sanctification, fearing that justifica- 
tion will suffer by the presentation ? 

We believe that justification is glorious. 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



129 



much more so than we deserve ; but we be- 
lieve that sanctification excels in glory , and 
still no more than all have the right to expect. 

Mr. Wesley did not believe that justification 
would suffer by urging the people to the pos- 
session of sanctification. He urged his preach- 
ers and members to seek it, profess it, and 
urge it upon the people. In writing to one 
of his preachers he says : " Dear Brother, — 
Where Christian perfection is not strongly and 
?xplicitly preached there is seldom any remark- 
able blessing from God, and consequently little 
addition to the society, and little life in the 
members of it. Therefore, if Jacob Rowell is 
grown faint, and says but little about it, do 
you supply his lack of service. Speak, and. 
spare not. Let not regard for any man induce 
you to betray the truth of God. Till you 
press the believers to expect full salvation now 
you must not look for any revival." — Works, 
vol. vi. p. 761. 

Mr. Wesley, it seems, did not taKe the same 
new of preaching sanctification that our ob- 
jector does. He regarded a clear, emphatic, 
9 



130 THE NEW TESTAMENT 



and .onstant presentation of sanctiflcation aa 
not only not disparaging justification, but won- 
derfully promoting it. 

Bishop \Asbury, after preaching forty years, 
from Maine to Georgia, makes this recoid : — 

" I have found, by secret search, that I have 
not preached sanctiflcation as I should have 
done ; if I am restored, this shall be my 
theme more pointedly than ever, God being 
my helper." — Journals, vol. ii. p. 174. 

Again he says : "I am divinely impressed 
with a charge to preach sanctiflcation in every 
sermon. " — Vol. iii. p. 360. 

Bishop Asbury, it seems, did not think that 
justification would be disparaged if sanctiflca- 
tion formed a part of every sermon he preached. 
Would there were more to imitate his exam- 
ple ! 

The objection cannot lie against a proper 
scriptural presentation of the subject of entire 
sanctiflcation, although it may lie against the 
manner in which it is sometimes presented by 
injudicious and irresponsible persons. Such 
persons make sanctiflcation the alpha and omega 



STANDARD OF PIETT. 



181 



Df Christian experience, while regeneration ia 
scarcely worth their attention. Such teaching 
should be discountenanced by all. Is the 
foundation of a building of no value, because 
it is the foundation and not the building? 
The safety of the whole superstructure depends 
upon it. If entire sanctification is the omega, 
then regeneration is the alpha of Christian ex- 
perience. Without the former the latter could 
have no existence. 

2. It is objected that a distinction, in point 
of time, between justification and sa?ictification 1 
represents God as doing his work imperfectly. 

It is said, The sinner, when seeking God, 
asks to be saved — fully saved ; and if God 
does not save him, he does not do his work 
perfectly ; and if he does fully save him, a 
second work is unnecessary. 

This seems to be a plausible objection, but 
when it is examined closely, it will be found 
to be without much force. 

That God does his work perfectly there can 
be no doubt. But this work is always in har- 
mony with faith. Whatever the intelligence 



132 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



comprehends, and faith grasps, is bestowed. 
How is it with the man seeking justification? 

The language of Christ is, " Whatsoever 
things ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye 
receive them, and ye shall have them. ,J God 
gives a sinner, then, just what he asks for. 

What does the sinner most desire ? Wha, 
does he most need? What constitutes the 
burden of his prayer ? What does he know 
about a clean heart r He is condemned, and 
under sentence of death, and he feels it. 
He is guilty, and he wants pardon. He feels 
that God is offended, and he pleads for recon- 
ciliation. He feels that every element of his 
nature is averse to God, and he wishes his 
heart changed and given a heavenward ten- 
dency. His cry is, i; Father, forgive ! '* " Be 
merciful unto me a sinner ! " " Turn away 
thine anger from me ! " God hears, answers, 
and forgives the culprit, and he rejoices in a 
sin-pardoning God. His sins have all been 
forgiven for Christ's sake, and a new element — 
love — has been introduced into his soul, bv 
which his whole nature has received a heaven- 



STANDARD OF PIET?. 



133 



ward tendency. He receives just the blessing 
sought. 

The penitent seeker knows little of the deep 
depravity of his heart. It is well he does 
not ; for such a discovery would paralyze his 
faith, and quite extinguish hope. He receives, 
so far as he comprehends his wants ; and, as 
further discoveries are made, and correspond- 
ing faith exercised, grace is given. I do not 
deny but the sinner might, should he see all his 
wants, and understand all the depths of his 
corruption, receive complete cleansing. But 
this is not God's ordinary method, as is proved 
vy the experience of the church. 

Our views on this subject are in harmony 
with the best minds of the church. 

"It is not the first cry of the sinner," says 
Dr. Upham, " that he may be sanctified, but 
that he may be forgiven. It is his past sins 
which stare him in the face. It is his past 
sins which must be washed away. And until 
this is done, and at the feet of Jesus he has 
received the remission of his trangression, he 
has no other desire, no other thought. But 



134 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



when he has experienced a release from the 
bitter memory of the past, and has felt the 
rising hope of forgiveness, and not till then, is 
his mind occupied with the distinct subject of 
the reality, the obligation, and the blessedness 
of a holy heart in all time to come." — Inte- 
rior Life, p. 171. 

"The awakened sinner/' says Dr. L. Lee, 
"has his mind mainly directed to the guilt 
of his sin, and his inability to save himself 
without God ; and cries to God for pardon and 
a new heart. Faith is limited by the view his 
intelligence takes of his necessity ; and the work 
wrought, and the blessing obtained, are accord- 
ing to the faith exercised. With most persons 
it may be presumed that their view of the 
whole subject, at the time of their conversion, 
may be expressed in these words : ' I am a 
sinner lost, Christ is a Saviour who died to 
save me ; able and willing to save now. Lord, 
for Christ's sake, save me this moment/ Sub- 
sequently, the necessity of a deeper work is 
seen and felt. At any time when the intelli- 
gence comprehends what is wanting to consti- 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



135 



tute a state of entir* sanctification, and failh is 
exeicised, the work will be fiIlished. ,, — - The- 
ology, p. 214. 

We repeat, God does his work perfectly. If 
the penitent asks for pardon he is pardoned, 
and "justified from all things." If he asks 
for a clean heart, and comprehends his needs, 
according to his faith so shall it be done unto 
him. . This is God's method of saving souls. 

If regeneration and entire sanctification are 
always experienced at one and the same time, 
what is to be done with the tens of thousands 
in the church who profess justifying grace, 
and yet are conscious that they are not sancti- 
fied wholly? They are among our most active 
and worthy members. But if this doctrine be 
true, we must set them all down as children 
of the devil, and fit subjects for perdition. I 
could not thus curse whom God the Father 
owns and blesses, but should be obliged to do 
so to be consistent with my theory, if I be- 
lieved the dogma here opposed. 

"There are multitudes in all the Christian 
ehurches, " says Dr. G. Peck, " who exhibit 



THE N E W T E S T A M E X T 



the fruits, and n.ave the inward testimony of a 
state of justification, but who do not enjoy 
the great blessing of perfect love. What shall 
we say of these upon the hypothesis here op- 
posed ? We must, so far as I can see, come 
to one of the following conclusions concerning 
them: Either they were never really justified, 
or they have lost their entire sanctification 
without losing their justification; or, they have 
lost both one and the other, and are, conse- 
quently, in a backslidden state. 

" Can we, consistently with charity, come to 
the first conclusion, viz., that all those Chris- 
tians who are conscious of the absence of en- 
tire sanctification or perfect love, in question, 
were never really born of the Spirit or justi- 
fied ? Perhaps none would, for a moment, 
embrace such a conclusion. And will any who 
hold the identity of the new birth and entire 
sanctification, fall upon the second supposition, 
viz., that these persons have lost the blessing 
of perfect love, and yet retain that of regener- 
ation ? This conclusion seems incongruous and 
even absurd. For if these two things are 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 13/ 

dentical, how can they be separate ? If there 
iS any reason which goes to identify regenera- 
tion and entire sanctification in their com- 
mencement, does not the same reason identify 
them in their progress ? If they are one and 
the same, how can they be separated under 
any circumstances or at any time ? 

44 Well, who will embrace the third suppo- 
sition, viz., that all who were ever justified, 
and do not now enjoy the blessing of entire 
sanctification, have fallen away from the favor 
of God ? I think few will hazard such a con- 
clusion as this. The result, then, to which I 
come, is, that the theory which asserts that 
entire sanctification invariably takes place when 
justification and regeneration take place, is in- 
consistent with fact and experience." — - Chris- 
tian Perfection, p. 366. 

We think we have now proved, that to af- 
firm that regeneration and entire sanctification 
do not *ake place at one and the same time, 
is no reflection upon the perfection of the 
work of God. The absurdity of the dogma 



138 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



is of itself sufficient to convince every candid 
mind that it has no foundation in truth. 

I , It is objected that the Bible recognizes tw 
such distinction in Christian experience. 

We claim that the Bible recognizes just such 
a distinction in Christian experience, and that 
its correctness has been tested by actual ex- 
periment. 

The Bible is a common sense book. In pre- 
scribing rules for all, it adapts itself to the 
very great variety in human nature, through 
which its precepts and promises work out their 
glorious results. 

It is seldom that any two persons reach the 
same point in Christian experience by the same 
process, in all its minutiae. One meets a va- 
riety of difficulties to which the other is a 
comparative stranger. One receives a measure 
of the Spirit which quite staggers the faith of 
another. One enters into the most holy place, 
rapturously exclaiming, — * 

M O, for a thousand tongues to sing 
My great Redeemer's praise ! " 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



159 



Another reaches the same point, but with 
feelings best expressed by 

" A speechless awe that dares no move, 
And all the silent heaven of love ! " 

This variety in Christian experience results 
in part from education; but principally from 
the great variety in natural temperament. Re- 
ligion does not destroy our natural tempera- 
ments, but gives a religious direction to them, 
and works out some of its richest gems through 
these constitutional peculiarities. 

Mr. A. is sober and sedate — always was, 
and always will be. Mr. B. is lively and jo- 
vial — the same after conversion as before, only 
in another direction. Mr. C. is confiding and 
trustful — can believe any thing. Mr. D. is 
distrustful and unbelieving — can scarcely be- 
lieve any thing. Mr. E. is highly excitable — 
explodes like a rocket. Mr. F. is seldom moved 
at any thing. Mr. G. is full of hope. Mr. H. 
is full of despondency. Is there any wonder 
that from this exhibition, which all will recog- 
nize as truthful, there should be a great vari- 



140 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



ety in Christian experience? It would l>e very 
strange if such was not the case. 

Now, that a book should be perfectly adapted 
to all this variety in education and tempera- 
ment, which is so clearly developed in Chris- 
tian experience, and not conflict with any who 
are honestly seeking the right way, it must, 
in the nature of things, be somewhat general 
on those subjects which enter so largely into 
the experience of all. It must, it seems to 
us, present the fact without attempting to give 
the philosophy of that fact. It fixes the out- 
lines but leaves the filling up to individual ex- 
perience. It maps out the beginning and end 
of the voyage, with all the prominent dangers 
of the passage ; but it does not attempt to de- 
scribe every head wind and counter current to 
be met with. It tells us what winds will waft 
us to our destined port, but it does not pre- 
tend to describe the force of the gale by which 
we are wafted into port ; whether, with every 
sail filled, straining every spar, or gently borne 
along by the force of the tide which sets 
strongly in that direction. It points out the 



S1ANDAKD OF PIETT. 



141 



landmarks by which we keep our course and 
enter the harbor safely. 

If we understand the teachings of the Bible 
on this subject, these are its characteristics 
It gives the fact, but does not pretend to give 
the philosophy of the fact. It tells us that 
we can be forgiven, and then cleansed from 
all unrighteousness ; that we may be babes in 
Christ, and afterwards men ; that we may love 
God and then have our love made perfect ; 
that the initial state of Christian experience 
is one thing, and going on unto perfection is 
quite another ; that we may enjoy the fellow- 
ship of the Son, and still retain a nature 
which needs cleansing from all filthiness. 

Here are the facts. They are simple and 
fairly stated. This kind of teaching can be 
understood by all. It leaves ample margin 
for the variety in individual experience to 
have its full scope. If the Bible had been 
designed for philosophical, hair-splitting, theo- 
logical lawyers, this feature would not have 
been so prominent; but as it was made foi 



142 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



the common people, its present mode of teach- 
ing exhibits the wisdom of its Author. 

The Bible clearly recognizes the distinction 
between regeneration and entire sanctification ; 
but it does not state all the nice points of 
distinction, all the hair-splitting differences that 
exist, for the best of all reasons — they are very 
much affected by our personal experience, with 
which a more perfect knowledge of them is 
left ; proving true that word, " If any man 
will do his will he shall know of the doc- 
trine," &c. 

The Bible assures us that, " If we confess 
our sins " Christ " is faithful and just to for- 
give us our sins." But the work does not 
stop "here; we can then be "cleansed from 
all unrighteousness." Forgiveness of sin is 
one thing, and cleansing is another Here the 
two blessings are clearly marked. 

" The principles of the doctrine of Christ " 
embrace repentance and faith, which none can 
have without conversion ; but we are to leave 
these and "go on unto perfection." Here the 
twc states are clearly marked. 



STANDAKD OF P IETY, 



143 



The Bible represents " babes in Christ " as 
carnal, i. e., not altogether spiritual. From 
this carnality, which is termed 46 filthiness of 
flesh and spirit," they are exhorted to " cleanse 
themselves," and thus " perfect holiness." Here, 
again, the two states are clearly marked. 

Christ declares that his disciples were given 
him out of the world, and sent forth as "lamba 
among wolves ; " yet they were in need of 
sanctification, for which He prayed, and the 
prayer was answered on the day of Pentecost, 
when they were " all filled with the Holy 
Ghost." Here the two states are clearly marked. 

The Bible does make a distinction, and that 
distinction, as we have shown, is in perfect 
harmony with the experience of the church. 
We are not bound to explain every difficulty 
to the entire satisfaction of the caviller. Let 
him come and test the doctrine experimentally, 
then shall he know the doctrine to be of God. 

" The sum of all is this," says Mr. Wes- 
ley ; " there are in every person, even after he 
is justified, two contrary principles, nature and 
grace, termed by St. Paul the flesh and i rit. 



/ 44 



THE NEW T E S T A M K N T 



Hence, although even babes in Christ are sane- 
tified, yet it is only in part. In a degree, ac- 
cording to the measure of their faith, they are 
spiritual ; yet in a degree they are carnal. 
And to this agrees the constant experience of 
the children of God. While they feel this 
witness in themselves, they feel a will not 
wholly resigned to the will of God. They 
know they are in him, and yet find a heart 
ready to depart from him ; a proneness to evil 
in many instances, and a backwardness to that 
which is good. The contrary doctrine is wholly 
new ; never heard of in the church of Christ, 
from the time of his coming into the world 
till the time of Count Zinzendorf ; — and it is 
attended with the most fatal consequences." 
Works, vol. i. p. 115. 

44 That a distinction exists," says Mr. Wat- 
son, " between a regenerate state and a state 
of entire and perfect holiness, will be generally 
allowed. Regeneration, we have seen, is con- 
comitant with justification ; but the apostles, in 
addressing the body of believers in the churches 
to wuorh they wrote their epistles, set before 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



145 



Jiem, both in the prayers they offer in their 
behalf and in the exhortations they administer, 
a still higher degree of deliverance from sin, as 
well as a higher growth in Christian virtues. " 
— Institutes, part ii. chap. 29. 

64 The distinction," says Dr. Upham, 44 is 
evidently made in the Scriptures. The pas- 
sages of Scripture where it is clearly recog- 
nized are so numerous and so familiar to at- 
tentive readers of the Bible that it seems to 
be hardly necessary to quote them at a.ny 
length. 4 And the very God of peace,' says 
the apostle, (1 Thess. v. 23,) 4 sanctify you 
wholly ; and I pray God your whole spirit, 
and soul, and body be preserved blameless 
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.' 
And again, 2 Cor. vii. 1 : 4 Having, therefore, 
these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse 
ourselves from all filthiness «)f the flesh and 
spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.' 
It is very evident, from the general tenor of 
the apostle's communications to them, that 
these exhortations were addressed to those 
whom he regarded, and had reason to regard, 
10 



146 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



as justified persons. He felt, nevertheless, al- 
though they were justified, — although theii 
past sins were blotted out, — that there was 
much remaining to be done in the matter of 
their present and prospective sanctificatior . 
Hence his exhortations to preserve their bod- 
ies blameless, to cleanse themselves, and to 
perfect holiness in the fear of God, which 
would have been unnecessary if he had con- 
sidered the work of sanctification as absolutely 
and necessarily involved in that of justifica- 
tion." — Interior Life, p. 173. 

"The above exposition of entire sanctifica- 
tion," says Dr. L. Lee, " appears to accord 
with Christian experience. It accords with 
the experience of those who have not reached 
the state. If the whole number of Christians 
were consulted, at or near the time of their 
conversion, few, if any, would be found to be- 
l'eve themselves to have been wholly sanctified 
at the time of their conversion, or to have 
been freed from all depravity; yet they feel 
confident that their sins have been forgiven, 
„nd that they love God Whatever may be 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



147 



their creed, whatever may be their philosophy 
01 regeneration and sanctification, if they are 
real Christians, experience has but one lan- 
guage ; they feel, they are conscious that they 
love God and enjoy his favor, yet that they 
nave not attained all that is implied in entire 
sanctification as taught in the Scriptures, and 
as it has been explained above. 

" If the experience of those who have ob- 
tained this great blessing of entire sanctifica- 
tion were consulted, it would doubtless be 
found to accord with the explanation above 
given." — Theology, p. 215. 

The objection that the Bible does not re- 
cognize the distinction for which we contend, 
is proved to be unfounded. We submit the 
argument to the prayerful consideration of the 
candid reader, and ask him to consider it in 
the light of his own experience. 



148 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



CHAPTER VIII. 
THE STANDARD — WHEN ATTAINED. 

'* When shall I hear the inward voice 
Which only faithful souls can- hear i 
Pardon, and peace, and heavenly joys 

Attend the promised Comforter : 
O, come, and righteousness divine, 
And Christ, and all with Christ, are mine ! 

" Where the indubitable seal 

That ascertains the kingdom mine: 
The powerful stamp I long to feel, 

The signature of love divine I 
O, shed it in my heart abroad, 
Fulness of love, of heaven, of God I " 

fF we are required to " go on unto perfec- 
tion," when may we expect the blessing? 
How long after conversion may we look to be 
sanctified wholly ? There is a very great di- 
versity of opinion upon this question. We shall 
content ourselves with a presentation of the 
Wesleyan view, believing it to be that of the 
New Testament. 

Mr. Wesley had a range of observation and 



STANDARD OF P.^TY. 



149 



experience on this subject, with which few men 
of modern times have been favored. Hia 
views, when submitted to strict criticism, are 
not uniform. That they underwent a change, 
may be inferred from the following confessions. 
He says : " I do not include an impossibility 
of falling from it [Christian perfection,] either 
in part or in whole. Therefore, I retract sev- 
eral expressions in our hymns which partly 
express, partly imply, such an impossibility/' — ■ 
Works, vol. vi. p. 531. He makes a similar 
confession to his brother Charles. " Jai one 
who has attained it, fall r Formerly I thought 
not ; but you (with Thomas Walsh and John 
Jones) convinced me of my mistake." — p. 669. 

Mr. Wesley evidently believed, in the early 
part of his ministry, that entire sanctification 
was a gradual work ; to be received at, or near 
death. It was a long time before he could be 
made to believe that it could be received by 
the newly- converted child of God. He was 
finally forced to believe, by the examples which 
multiplied around him, the genuineness of 
»vhose experience he had no reason to doubt, 



n HF NEW TESTAMENT 



In 1764. after an extensive revival of holi- 
ness, he writes to a friend as follows : 
" Now, with God one day is as a thousand 
years. It plainlv follows that the quantity of 
time is nothing to nim ; centuries, years, 
months, days, hours, and moments are exactly 
the same. Consequently, he can as well sanc- 
tify in a day after we are justified as a hun- 
died years. There is no difference at all, unless 
we s~. ppose him to be such a one as ourselves. 
Accordingly we see, in fact, that some of the 
most unquestionable witnesses of sanctifying 
grrce were sanctified within a few days after 
they were justified. I have seldom known so 
devoted a soul as S H , at Maccles- 

field, who was sanctified within nine days 
after she was convinced of sin. She was then 
twelve years old, and I believe was never af- 
terward heard to speak an improper word, or 
known to do an improper thing. Her look 
struck an awe into all that saw her. 

" Although, therefore, it usually pleases God 
to interpose some time between justification 
and sanctification, yet we must not fancy this 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



151 



to be an invariable rule. All who think this, 
must think we are sanctified by works, or 
which comes to the same, by suffering ; fur, 
otherwise, what is time necessary for? It 
must be either to do, or to suffer. Whereas, 
if nothing be required but simple faith, a mo- 
ment is as good as an age. 

" The fact is, we are continually forming 
general rules from our own particular experi- 
ence. Thus S H , having gone about 

and about herself, which took up a consider- 
able time, might very naturally suppose all 
who are sanctified must stay for it near as 
long a time as she did." — Works, vol. vii. 
p. 14. 

In the year 1760, he writes to one of the 
members of his society as follows : " It is 
therefore undoubtedly our duty to pray and 
look for full salvation every day, every hour, 
every moment, without waiting till we hav3 
either done or suffered more. Wh\ should 
not this be the accepted time r " — Works, vol. 
vii. p. 764. 

In 1762 the flame of holiness broke out at 



J 52 THE NEW TESTABLE NT 

Bolton. In speaking of those who were sanc- 
tified, Mr. Wesley says : " Two of these were, 
I think, justified and sanctified in less than 
three days." 

At Macclesfield, he says : " I spoke to them, 
(forty in all,) one by one. Some of them said 
they received that blessing ten days, some 
seven, some four, some three days after they 
found peace with God ; and two of them the 
next day. What marvel, since one day is with 
God as a thousand years ?" — Works, vol. iv. 
p. 135. 

But does not Mr. Wesley, declare that the 
work of entire sanctification is gradual and in- 
stantaneous ? Does he not make the work in 
every case gradual as well as instantaneous ? 
We confess that it does seem so, if we take 
his simple illustration of it, aside from his 
other declarations. He says : "A man may 
be dying for a long time, yet he does not, 
properly speaking, die till the int tant the soul 
is separated from the body ; and in that in- 
stant he lives the life of eternity. In like 
manner he may be dying to sin for some time 



STANDARD OF PIETY* 



153 



yet he is not dead to sin till sin is se x arated 
from his soul, and in that instant he lives the 
lull life of love," — Plain Account, p. 80. 

If this illustration is to he applied to all 
wr.o experience the blessing of entire sanctifi- 
cation. then it does prove that the work is 
gradual in all, and instantaneous in all. We 
cannot believe that this is Mr, Wesley's mean- 
ing. He evidently intended to pro\3 tha* +be 
work was always instantaneous, even in tt S3 
v/ho approached it by gradual steps. Th ;re 
was a moment when they died to sin ; hence, 
in every case it was an instantaneous work 

If Mr. Wesley did intend, however, to con- 
vey the idea that the work is gradual in all 
cases, he certainly changed his views after- 
wards. This illustration was first put forth at 
the conference in 1758. Aftdr this a most 
blessed revival of holiness spread over the 
land, such as had not been known before under 
the labors of Wesley. " In the years 1759, 
'60, '61, and '62," says Mr. Wesley, " their 
numbers multiplied exceedingly, not only in 
London and Bristol, but in various parts of 



154 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



Ireland as well as England. Not trusting to 
the testimony of others, I carefully examined 
most of these mj&eif; and in London alone i 
found six hundred and fifty-two members )f 
out society, who were exceedingly clear in their 
experience, and of whose testimony I could see 
no reason to doubt I believe no year ha3 
passed since that time, wherein God has net 
wrought the same work in many others ; but 
sometimes in one part of England or Ireland., 
sometimes in another ; — as the wind bloweth 
where it listeth ; and every one of these (after 
the most careful inquiry, I have not found one 
exception either in Great Britain or Ireland) 
has declared that his deliverance from sin was 
instantaneous ; that the change was wrought in 
a moment. Had half of these, or one third, 
or one in twenty, declared it was gradually 
wrought in the?n, I should have believed this 
with regard to them, and thought that some were 
gradually sanctified, and some instantaneously. 
But as I have not found, \n so long a space 
of me, a single person speaking thus, as all 
wh. believe they are sanctified declare with 



8TANDABD OF PIETY. 



155 



one voice that the change was wrought in a 
moment, I cannot hut believe that sanctifica- 
tion is commonly, if not always, an instanta- 
neous work." — vol. ii. p. 223. 

Whatever might have been Mr. Wesley's 
views when he put forth the illustration re- 
ferred to, there can be no doubt about them 
when he gave utterance to the foregoing senti- 
ment. In the first instance it is both "grad- 
ual and instantaneous ; " in the !atter it is 
a commonly, if not always, an instantaneous 
work." His mature views on this subject 
cannot, it seems to me, be misunderstood. 
Those who pretend to follow Wesley should 
be careful how they make him contradict him- 
self, by making his early and abandoned views 
his mature, and hence most reliable ones. Ex- 
perience did very much to modify and correct 
his views on this subject ; which experience 
was very much extended during the great re- 
vival of holiness. 

Hester Ann Rogers speaks of an interesting 
love-feast at Macclesfield, described in another 
part of this work. The next day she called 



156 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



on Mr. Wesley, at Mr. Bile's. He addresse i 
her as follows : c< ' We had a lovely meeting 
Hetty; such an evidence cannot be withstood.' 
She said : ' Ah, sir, there are some who cann- : 
receive all the testimonies that were borne iast 
night ; they think those who weie justified 
cnly a few weeks or months ago, are deceived 
wnen they pretend to know any thing of sanc- 
•ification ' ' Well,' said he, r out you and 
I do nui limit God , and indeed the time is 
now cone when a fuller dispensation of the 
Spirit is given than has e- T ei been known be- 
fore. Fifty years ago, and indeed ,efore that 
time, there was here one and there cne instance 
of the power of God, but it was rai zly the 
case. We seldom heard of instantaneous sane- 
tification by faith alone. 

" 4 The Moravian brethren seemed, for a time, 
the most clear ; but now there is no people in 
the world that speak so clear and distinct as 
the Methodists ; and we now see more clearly 
than at first ; there are more living witnesses 
of the power of God.' Just at parting he 
said : ' I never before saw the nature of in- 



STANDARD OF 1 TFTT 



15^ 



itantaneous sanctijication as I do now ' K 
Christian perfection was simply loving God 
with all the heart, he blessed God he did ex- 
perience a measure of this ; that with God's 
help he would preach the doctrine of faith 
and a present salvation from all sin at Ches- 
ter, though he expected much opposition." — 
Journals, 

From this, which we regard as the scriptural 
view of the matter, we are forced to the con- 
clusion, that a man may be wholly sanctified 
whenever the intelligence comprehends the ne- 
cessity of the work, and faith is exercised for 
the blessing. Its accomplishment does not de- 
pend upon the length of time, but upon the 
scope or extent of faith. 

To the foregoing, the following objections 
have been urged : — 

1. It is said that this view of entire sanc- 
tification undervalues the old-fashioned, primi- 
tive practice of growing in grace. 

The author of " Thoughts on Entire Sanctifi- 
cation" has presented his views on this subject, 
seeking to antagonize the true Wesleyan idea. 



158 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



He argues this question with his usual earn- 
estness, in the following language : 

" Imagining entire sanctification to be attain- 
able suddenly, by one mighty act of conse- 
crating faith, they entirely overlook the fact 
that in all ordinary cases, if not invariably, 
growth in grace for a time is an indispensa- 
ble condition of entire sanctification. Such 
teaching is . . . not the doctrine taught by 
the apostle, nor by Mr. Wesley." 

Such persons " seem not to understand, that 
praying for immediate and entire sanctification 
before they have so grown in grace as to be 
able to abstain from all outward sin, is down- 
right enthusiasm — expecting and praying for 
an end without using the appropriate means. 
I doubt if repentance is more necessary to 
justification than is a growth in grace to entire 
sanctification." 

Three things are here stated which deserve at- 
tention. 

(1.) Growth in grace a condition of sancti- 
fication. 

This amounts to nothing less than salvation 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



159 



by works. We must be "able to abstain from 
all outward sins " before we are allowed to pray 
for entire sanctification ; as if our outward sins 
are not the cropping out of heart corruption, 
which entire sanctification alone can remove. 
If we are saved by faith alone, then good 
works, or growth in grace, is not the con- 
dition. 

But if our outward sins must all be re- 
moved before we are allowed to pray for sanc- 
tification, why may not our inward sins all be 
removed in the same way ? Does God save us 
from outward sins by one method and from 
inward sins by another ? Does growth in 
grace secure the one, and faith the other ? 
This must be a new theology. 

Pray, on what is growth in grace con- 
ditioned ? It must be on works or faith. 
The former will not be maintained, we pre- 
sume, by any one. If faith is the condition 
of growth in grace, and growth in grace 
a condition of entire sanctification, then what 
relation does faith hold to entire sanctifi- 
cation ? It cannot be the condition upon 



160 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



which it is received. Again, what is growth 
in grace but a growth in holiness ? And what 
is Christian perfection hut holiness perfected ? 
But is grace itself the condition on which it 
is received ? Is a portion of purity the condi- 
tion upon which it is to he perfected ? Is 
grace the condition of grace ? holiness the con- 
dition of holiness ? perfection the condition of 
perfection ? So it seems, if this writer's spec- 
ulations he correct. 

(2.) We are told that the apostles did not 
teach this doctrine. 

I am quite sure that they taught nothing 
contrary to this, if we are to judge of their 
teaching from what is recorded in the New 
Testament. Paul never heard of growth in 
grace as a condition of entire sanctiflcation. 
He urges his brethren to " draw near with a 
true heart, in full assurance of faith," that 
they may receive that complete redemption fur- 
nished by our great High Priest, who by one 
offering " perfects forever those that are sanc- 
tified." Nothing is here said of growth in 
grace as a condition of sanctiflcation. But 



STAND Alt D OF PIETY. 



161 



one, and only one condition is expressed, viz., 
"full assurance of faith. 7 ' A glance at the 
New Testament must convince all, that the po- 
sition of this writer is unscriptural. Christ 
says, "All things are possible to him that be- 
lieveth ; and as sanctification is among the " all 
things" that, too, is "possible/' whenever we 
" ask in faith, nothing doubting." That which 
is by faith is not by growth. 

(3.) But it is opposed to the teachings of 
Wesley. 

Now hear Mr. Wesley refute this writer: 
"Inquiring [in 1761] how it was that in all 
these parts we had so few witnesses of full 
salvation, I constantly received one and the 
same answer : ; We see now we sought it by 
our works ; we thought it was to come gradu- 
ally ; we never expected it to come in a mo- 
ment, by simple faith, in the very same maimer 
as we received justification? ' What wonder 
is it, then, that you have been lighting all these 
years as one that beateth the air/"' — vol. vii. p. 
377. 

This writer continues : "I fear many prom- 



162 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



ising young Christians have been permanently 
injured by professing holiness, when they 
should have desired the sincere milk of the 
word till they had grown up into Christ their 
living head in all things." 

Hear Mr. Wesley's reply : 44 Four of those 
[children"] who seemed to be saved from sin, 
were of one family ; and all of them walked 
holy and unblamable. And many instances of 
the same kind I have found in every part of 
the country." — Vol. vii. p. 377. 

To repeat what has once been said : Mr. 
Wesley states that he knew two who were 
justified and sanctified in less than three days: 
and of the forty to whom he spoke one by 
one, some received the blessing of entire sanc- 
tification in ten, some seven, some four, and 
some three days after conversion ; and two the 
next day. 44 What marvel," says Mr. W., 
44 since one day is with God as a thousand 
years." Very great marvel, in this writer's 
estimation! 44 They entirely overlooked," — 
an error which Mr. Wesley should not have 
suffered himself to have fallen into, — the 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



163 



fact that growth in grace " is an indispensable 
condition of entire sanctification." Kot so 
thought Mr. Wesley. He believed and taught 
that at any moment after conversion, the young 
and old may alike be " sanctified wholly, soul, 
body, and spirit." 

2. It is objected, that such is the natural 
corruption of the heart, such the sirength of 
habit, and such the power of Satan, that we 
may not expect to overcome them all at once. 
It takes time to fathom the depths of our 
corruptions ; to break old, confirmed habits ; 
to understand and overcome all the devices of 
Satan. The idea of instantaneous sanctifica- 
tion ignores all these opposing influences. Hu- 
man nature is too weak for such a conflict. We 
must take time, and drive out the enemy, 
"little by little." 

1. As to corruption, it is claimed that those 
who profess to be fully saved, by the sudden 
process of faith, do not know, have not learned 
the depth of their corruption. This may be so, 
but it will need proof. 

As an antidote to the corruptions of the 



164 



THE KEW TESTAMENT 



human heart we present the blood of Christ. 
If that blood can cleanse us from all sin, from 
all corruption, from all filthiness of the flesh 
and Spirit, we know not why our corruptions 
should be an insuperable barrier to the accom- 
plishment of this work ; unless our corruptions 
are so deep that the blood of the Lamb can- 
not reach them, which very few are prepared 
to accept in the light of God's truth. 

2. As to strength of wicked habit, it is said, 
that so confirmed do they become, that it re- 
quires a long time to break them up and remove 
them. 

This would be very well if we were obliged 
to break and subdue these habits by our own 
wills. But this is not the case. This God 
never requires ; and if he did, man never could 
meet the demand. 

As a perfect corrector of habits we present 
the Holy Ghost. He is our " sanctifier ; " 
the one that "quickens/ 7 that "fills," that 
"circumcises the heart/*' that "makes us 
free; " — the one whose " ministrations are glo- 
tsj" the Spirit which is not received "by 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



163 



the uorks of the law," — not by personal ef- 
forts to make our hearts better, — ' 6 but by 
the hearing of faith." By it we are strength- 
ened " in the inner man," until we are per- 
fectly " renewed in the spirit of our minds." 

To say that the Spirit cannot effect this 
change in us at once, is to limit his power. 
Whatever he can do, he is willing to do, if we 
perform the conditions required. And as the 
condition is simple faith, all may believe and 
be saved now. 

3. As to the power of Satan, it is claimed that 
he is powerful, subtle, deceptive, and malignant ; 
that we do not fully understand his influence 
over us ; and that it takes a long time to 
break his power. This is all true. It will 
take a long time to break his power, and very 
much longer than we shall wish to struggle, 
if we attempt it in our own strength. We 
are very thankful, however, that no such 
necessity is laid upon us. We have not to 
fight Satan alone ; nor are we of ourselves to 
fight him at all. There is a power which is 
adequate to the necessities of fallen, tempted 



166 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



human nature. We present Jesus as Leader 
and King of his people. He is the Lion 
of the tribe of Judah. He came to bruise 
Satan under his feet, and destroy his works. 
And can he not do it ? Has he found 
more than a match for himself ? He has 
more than once conquered him, and there 
is no place in a human heart from which 
he may not be dislodged by this " Captain of 
our salvation." 

We claim to believe in, and understand 
something of the corruption of the heart. We 
also believe in the blood of the Lamb which 
removes the corruption from us, as far " as 
the east is from the west." 

We believe in the strength of habit as firmly 
as any one can ; but we also believe in the 
omnipotency of the Holy Spirit to correct such 
habits. 

We believe in the subtlety and power of 
Satan as firmly as our opponents do, but we 
also believe in him who is able to bruise Satan 
under his feet, and destroy his works. There 
is no opposing force sufficiently strong to sue- 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



cessfully compete with these heaven-appointed 
agents. 

We see no reason why the believing soul 
may not, at any time, be saved. The present 
is as the future with God, and they do not 
reckon wisely who conclude that to-morrow 
will be more abundant in privileges than to- 
day. There can be no want of power on the 
part of Christ ; and as it is by faith and not 
by works, it requires but little time to believe. 
Whenever the soul sees its wants, and believes 
in Christ, the work is accomplished. 



'68 



THE NEW TESTAMEN1 



CHAPTER IX. 
THE STANDARD — HOW ATTAINED . 



" Could my tears forever flow, 
Could my zeal no languor know, 
These for sin could not atone ; 
Thou must save, and thou alone. 
In my hand no price I bring ; 
Simply to the cross I cling." 

* Now, e'en now, I yield, I yield, 

With all my sins to part : 
Jesus, speak my pardon sealed, 

And purify my heart : 
Purge the love of sin away ; 

Then I into nothing fall, 
Then I see the perfect day, 

And Christ is all in all." 



NE of the most difficult questions con- 



<y£J/) nected with this subject is, How is the 
blessing of entire s an ctifi cation to be obtained / 
The reasons are obvious : — 
1. In matters of religion, as in many other, 
things, it is very difficult to describe to a per- 




STANDARD OF PIETY. 



109 



ion clearly, that of which they have no experi- 
mental knowledge. 

Ministers have always found it difficult to 
explain the way of faith to a seeker of pardon. 
It is about as difficult to explain the way of 
faith to a seeker of entire sanctincation. The 
blind man, after all your explanations of colors, 
has still a very imperfect idea of what you 
mean. There are some matters in Christian- 
ity which, to be understood, must be experi- 
enced. 

2. Another difficulty is found in the very- 
great variety in Christian experience. 

64 We are continually," says Mr. Wesley, 
" forming general rules from our own particu- 
lar experience ; " and we are making these the 
criteria by which to judge of others. We 
shall try to avoid this course so far as we can, 
and content ourselves with fixing the land- 
marks which bound every man's experience, 
leaving the details to those who choose to 
follow them out. If we fail to present the 
true way, it will not be because we have not 
lought it earnestly and honestly, through an 



t70 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



extensive range of Christian biography, in oui 
own and other churches. 

1. Entire sanctijication must he preceded by 
a clear evidence of regeneration. 

Many persons make a very great mistake in 
seeking holiness by starting wrong. They 
commence seeking entire sanctification when in 
a backslidden state; — are very much blessed, and 
conclude they are in possession of the blessing ; 
when in fact they are only reclaimed from a 
backslidden state. Many who profess sanctifi- 
cation in seasons of special religious excite- 
ment are of this class. The result is, they 
soon fall away, and often bring reproach upon 
the doctrine, and cause the unbeliever to re- 
gard it all a delusion. This ought not so to 
be. There is no necessity for this. Let the 
seeker of holiness start right, and he will se- 
cure his object without much difficulty. Let 
there be a clear, unmistakable evidence of con- 
version and acceptance, and from this point 
start for the land of perfect loce. 

2. It is necessary that the seeker have a 
tolerably clear perception and understanding 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



171 



of the doctrine of entire sanctifieation. I say, 
tolerably ; for it is not to be supposed that 
persons can have a full understanding of that 
which can only be fully known by experience, 
before they have had such experience. There 
are some things which must be left to faith and 
personal realization. If we do not start until we 
fully understand every difficulty, we shall never 
begin. 

" If we must know," says Dr. G. Peck, 
" the whole way with the clearness of intui- 
tion, or of present consciousness, before we 
will take a step, God will doubtless leave us in 
our present ignorance with regard to the whole 
matter. If I wish to visit a distant point, 
concerning which I know nothing excepting 
from report of travellers, it would be an ex- 
travagant demand for me to require perfect in- 
formation with regard to all the various ap- 
pearances of the w r ay, and all the fortunes . of 
the journey, before I would* venture to set off. 
It would be quite enough for me to have sat- 
.sfactory evidence that the desired point was 
accessible — that the way was feasible — and 



1 72 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



that the exercise of my natural powers of body 
and mind would, in due time, probably bring 
me there. With this evidence before me, 
would it be rational f r me to sit still and 
speculate upon circumstances which I never 
can fully undersand until they come under my 
own observation?" 

It is possible for us to place the object of 
our pursuit too high ; then it cannot be 
reached. It is also possible for us to place it 
too low ; then we shall fall below the standard. 
And while we may not be able to possess a 
clear and comprehensive knowledge of the sub- 
ject in all its " adjuncts, antecedents, and 
consequents," we may possess such a knowl- 
edge of the object sought as to be able to 
seek it with the firmest confidence that it shall 
be given. 

" If you would hit a mark," says Mr. 
Fletcher, " you must know where it is. Some 
people aim at Christian perfection ; but, mis- 
taking it for angelical perfection, they shoot 
above the mark, miss it, and then peevishly 
give up :neir hopes. Others place the mark 



STANDARD OF 1'IETY. 



173 



as much too low ; hence it is that you hear 
them profess to have attained Christian per- 
fection, when they have not so much as at- 
tained the mental serenity of a philosopher, or 
the candor of a good-natured, conscientious 
heathen " — Fletcher' s Works, vol ii. p. 634. 

Let us seek to understand our wants, and 
feel them ; understand what is wanting to 
finish sin in our members ; then are we pre- 
pared to seek understandingly and successfully. 
The work should not be surface-like, but deep, 
heart-searching and thorough. Nothing short 
of this will succeed. 

3. The ivork of consecration must be com- 
plete. 

Perhaps no words express more clearly the 
manner of performing the work of consecra- 
tion than altar and sacrifice. The use of 
these terms, by different writers, has been 
strongly opposed. But before we dismiss 
them as unscriptural, we would do well to 
look at them calmly for a moment. Is this 
mode of teaching anything new in the church? 
Is it new in our theology ? Is it without 



174 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



scriptural warrant ? If so ; we surely would 
not attempt to defend it. 

It cannot be denied that an altar belongs to 
the Christian dispensation. Paul says, " We 
have an altar, whereof they have no right to 
eat who serve the tabernacle." — Heb. 13: 10. 
This altar is in some important sense answer- 
able to the original type. If this is not so, 
there is no meaning in the apostle's language 

The question naturally arises, What is meant 
by the term altar ? To this question we replr 
in the language of the best expositors of holy 
writ. 

Dr. Macknight says : " Here, by a usual 
metonymy, the altar is put for the sacrifice, as 
is plain from the apostle's adding, ' of which 
they have no right to eat.' The sacrifice be- 
longing to those who believe." — In loco. 

Scott says : " True believers had, in the 
atonement of Christ, the substance of all which 
had been shadowed forth by the sacrifices of 
the law. Such of the Hebrews as continued 
to minister at the tabernacle or temple, and 
neglected th"j gospel, had not the privilege of 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



175 



participating with Christians in feasting upon 
their spiritual sacrifice : of this, the Lord's 
supper was the appointed memorial." — In 
loco. 

Here the altar is made the Christian's spirit- 
ual sacrifice, the appointed memorial of which 
is the Loid's supper, which points directly to 
Christ. 

Dr. Olshausen says : " We eat of the true 
sacrificial meat, on which every thing depends; 
and from this, the true, the Messianic or pi- 
acular meal, the Jews are excluded. This is 
the simple and clear statement in verse 10 : 
6 We have an altar, of which they are not at 
liberty to eat, who still perform their worship 
in the tabernacle (the Old Testament sanctu- 
ary).' The author evidently had in his mind 
the holy supper, the meal of spiritual life, — 
fellowship and union with the, for us dead, and 
now exalted, Saviour." — In loco. 

According to Olshausen, the altar, of which 
we eat, is " the true sacrificial meat," the 
true 44 Messianic meal," the "now exalted 
Savioui." 



176 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



Dr. Adam Clarke says : " The Christian's 
altar is the Christian's sacrifice, which is Jesud 
Christ, with all the benefits of his passion au6 
death." 

Mr. Benson says : " Christ is the only Chris- 
tian altar, to which we bring all our sacrifices 
and our services." 

Dr. Coke says : " Nor let them boast of 
their having an altar at Jerusalem, whereof no 
Gentile has a right to partake ; for we have 
what is infinitely better than this — an altar of 
which the Jewish priests who serve the taber- 
nacle have no right to eat; that is, their Jewish 
worship gives them no interest in the sacrifice 
of Christ." — Commentary in loco. 

Dr. Whitby says: "That the altar here sig- 
nifies the sacrifice offered upon the altar, is 
plain from this, — that of this altar they were to 
eat." 

Matthew Henry says : tk The Christian church 
has its altar. It was objected against the 
primitive Christians, that their assemblies were 
destitute of an altar ; but that was not true. 
We have an altar, not a material altar, but <» 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



177 



personal one, and that is Christ ; he is both 
our altar and our sacrifice : he sanctifies the 
gift. Let us make a right use of this altar ; 
not only partake of the privileges of it, but 
let us bring our sacrifices to this altar, and to 
this our high priest, and offer them up by him/' 

We think we have now proved that those 
who use the terms altar and sacrifice, as we 
use them, are not to be regarded as teaching 
a new theology. 

But what is the use of an altar if not to 
offer sacrifice upon it ? What the altar was to 
th** Jew under the old, Christ is to the Chris- 
tian under the new dispensation. We are re- 
quired to offer our " bodies a living sacrifice, 
holy, acceptable unto God." We are " sanc- 
tified through the offering of the body of 
Jesus once for all." Mr. Wesley expresses it 
thus : — 

" Bound on the altar of thy cross 
Our old offending nature lies ; 
Now for the honor of thy cause, 
Come and consume the sacrifice." 

A person seeking entire sanctification finds 
no language more expressive or appropriate than 
12 



178 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



this: "I bring all to God's altar." "I offej 
my all a sacrifice to God." " Come, Lord, 
and accept my offering. " He sees a warrant 
for such feelings and expressions in the Scrip- 
tures, and is conscious that they are produced 
by the Spirit of God. 

Entire consecration is offering our all a com- 
plete sacrifice on the altar prepared by God, 
which, according to Clark, Benson, Henry, 
Macknight, Scott, Whitby, Olshausen, and 
others, is Jesus Christ. 

There is a distinction between entire conse- 
cration and entire sanctification. The former 
is a work which belongs to us, the latter is 
a work which belongs to God. We may 
have entire consecration without entire sanctifi- 
cation ; but we cannot have the latter without 
the former. 

Entire consecration embraces three things, — 
being, doing, and suffering. We must be will- 
ing to be, do, and suffer all God requires. 
This embraces reputation, friends, property 9 
and time. It covers body, mind, and soul. 
These are to be used when; where, and as God 



8TANDARD OF PIETY. 



179 



requires, and only as he requires. This is well 

expressed by Mr. Wesley : — 

" Take my soul and body's powers j 
Take my memory, mind, and will,* 

All my goods and all my hours j 
All I know and all I feel ; 

All I think, or speak, or do ; 

Take my heart, but make it new." 

The idea is still further amplified . in the fol- 
lowing lines : — 

u Write on our garnered treasures, 
W'rite on our choicest pleasures, 
Upon things new and old, 
The precious stone and gold ; 
On wife, husband, children, friends, — 
On all that goodness lends ; — 
Go write on your good name, 
Upon your cherished fame, — 
On every pleasant thing, — 
On stores that heaven doth fling 
Into your basket, — write ! 
Upon the smiles of God, 
Upon his scourging rod, — 
Write on your inmost heart 
Write upon every part, — 
To him who claims the whole, 
Time, talent, body, soul, 
« Holiness unto the Lord.' " 

"Unless," says Dr. Upham, "the Christian 
is willing to make such a consecration, and 
unless he actually adds the execution of the 
thing to the desire or willingness to do it, by 



180 THE NEW TESTAMENT 

a formal and decisive act, we can see no en* 
couragement that he will reach those results 
of personal inward experience which will be 
hereafter indicated." He further claims that 
such a consecration should be made deliber- 
ately "for all coming time;" "without 
any reserve ; " and " in reliance upon divine 
strength" (See Appendix, p. 283.) 

That the reader may fully understand the 
idea of consecration, we will present a form, 
abridged from Dr. Doddridge by Dr. Upham, 
with still further abridgment. 

Eternal and ever-blessed God ! I desire to 
present myself before thee with the deepest 
humility and abasement of soul. Permit me, 
O Lord, to bring back unto thee those powers 
and faculties w r hich I have ungratefully and 
sacrilegiously alienated from thy service ; and 
receive thy poor revolted creature, who is now 
convinced of thy right to him, and desires 
nothing in the world so much as to be thine. 
It is w r ith the utmost solemnity that I make 
this surrender of myself unto thee. I declare 
trn Lord this day to be my God. Hear, O 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 181 



f liou God of heaven, and record it in the book 
of tny remembrance, that I am thine, entirety 
thine. I would not merely consecrate to thee 
a certain portion of my services, or all I am 
capable of for a limited time ; but I give my 
self to thee, and promise to be wholly thine, 
and thine forever. 

From this day do I solemnly renounce all 
the former lords which have had dominion over 
me, — every sin and every lust, — and in thy name 
set myself in eternal opposition to the powers 
of hell which have most unjustly usurped the 
empire over my soul, and to all the corrup- 
tions which their fatal temptations have intro- 
duced into it. The whole frame of my nature, 
all the faculties of my mind, and all the mem- 
bers of my body, would I present before thee 
this day as a living sacrifice, holy and accept- 
able to God, which I know to be my most 
reasonable service. I consecrate to thee not 
only my person and powers, but all my 
worldly possessions, and earnestly pray thee 
also to give me courage and strength to 
exert for thy glory all the influence I may 



182 THE jSTEW testament 

have over others, m the relations of life in 

which I stand. 

Nor do I only consecrate all that I am and 
have, to do thy service, but I also most hum- 
bly resign and submit myself, and all that I 
can call mine, to endure and suffer at thy hand 
whatsoever thou mayst see fit to impose upon 
me in the wise dispensations of thy holy and 
sovereign will. I leave, Lord, to thy man- 
agement and direction, all I possess, and all I 
wish ; and set every enjoyment, and every in- 
terest before thee, to be disposed of as thou 
pleasest ; contentedly resolving, in all that thou 
appointest for me, my will into thine, and look- 
ing >n myself as nothing, and on thee, O God, 
as the great eternal All. 

Receive, heavenly Father, thy sinful child ! 
Wash me in the blood of thy dear Son ! 
Clothe me with thy perfect salvation ; sanctify 
me throughout by the power of thy Spirit, and 
fill me with thy perfect love ! 

When such a consecration is made, the lan- 
guage of Charles Wesley becomes very appro- 
priate : — 



STANDARD OF PIET\. 



;< To do, or not to do ; to have, 

Or not to have, 1 leave to thee ; 
1 o be, or not to be, I leave : 

Thy only will be done in me ! 
All my requests are lost in one. — 
1 Father, thy only will be done ! 1 

" Welcome alike the crown or cross. 

Trouble I cannot ask, nor peace, 
Nor toil, nor rest, nor gain, nor loss, 

Nor joy, nor grief, nor pain, nor ease, 
Nor life, nor death j but ever groan. 
* Father, thy only will be done ! ' " 

"A consecration thus deliberately made,'' 
Bays Dr. Upham, " including all our acts, 
powers, and possessions of body, mind, and 
estate, made without any reserve either in ob- 
jects, time, or place ; embracing trial and suf- 
fering as well as action ; never to be modified 
and never to be withdrawn ; and which con- 
templates its fulfilment in divine and not in 
human strength, — necessarily brings one "into 
a new relationship with God, of the most in- 
timate, interesting, and effective nature." 

Such, in brief, is the consecration which God 
requires of every seeker of entire sanctifica- 
tion. It must cover all our interests in this 
world and the world to come. 

When we can intelligently say, — 



184 



THE 



NEW 



TESTAMENT 



" My soul and all its powers, 
Thine, wholly thine, shall be ; 
All, all my happy hours 

I consecrate to thee. 
Me to thine image now restore, 
And I shall praise thee evermore, 

we are in a condition to receive the grace 
promised. The full heart then responds, — 

" Here, at that cross where flows the blood 
That bought my guilty soul to God, — 
Thee, my new Master, now I call, 
And consecrate to thee my all." 

Let the seeker press this point, and never 
cease until he is sure all is upon the altar. 

4. Implicit faith in Christ is essential to 
entire sanctif cation. In fact, all is unavailing 
without this. We may place all on God's 
altar ; we may make humble confession, and 
perform all other conditions required except 
this, and all is fruitless. Faith alone is the 
condition of entire sanctification . as it is of re- 
generation. Whenever we believe that God 
doeth it, we are saved. 

"The voice of God to your soul is," says 
Mr. Wesley, " b3lieve and be saved. Faith 
is the condition, and the only condition of 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



sanctifi cation, exactly as it is in justification 
No man is sanctified till he believes ; every 
man when he believes is sanctified." — Vol. i. 
p. 388. 

But this question of faith is a very difficult 
one to explain satisfactorily. Being so much 
accustomed to walking by sight, or sense, any 
thing like faith seems to be complete presump- 
tion. 

But what am I to believe ? 
In answering this question we will confine 
ourselves to three particulars. 

1. We must believe that such a blessing is 
to be enjoyed in this life. Without this, all 
our efforts will be aimless and fruitless. It is 
not to be deferred until death, for that would 
be equivalent to a denial of the thing. 

2. We must believe that God, for Christ's 
sake, is able, ready, willing, and desirous to 
save us now — this moment. Unless we are 
thoroughly convinced of, and impressed with 
thin fact, our defeat is certain. 

3. 44 To this confidence that God is both 
able and willing to sanctify us now," says Mr, 



186 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



Wesley, " there needs to be added one thing 
more — i. divine evidence and conviction that he 
doeth it. In that hour it is done; God says 
to the inmost soul, 4 According to thy faith be 
it unto thee.' Then the soul is pure from 
every spot of sin ; it is clean ' from all un- 
righteousness.' " 

There has been no little controversy on this 
point. It is contended that we cannot believe 
we receive this blessing, or that he doeth it ; 
but we are to believe that we shall receive, or 
he will do it. It must not be believed as 
being received, but as something yet to be. 

The language of Jesus is, " What things 
soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye 
receive them, and ye shall have them." — Mark 
xi. 24. 

The import of this scripture is so plain that 
the " wayfaring man though a fool need not 
err" in understanding it. An attempt has 
been made by a new translation to make it 
teach a different theology from what appears 
on the face of the text. One writer says : — - 
It is assumed that the Greek word lafipfa 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



187 



veie, - lambanete, — is in the present tense, 
and that, therefore, a belief of the reception 
of the thing asked for is not only synchroni- 
cal with the blessing, but constitutes the bless- 
ing itself. It is not faith in the willingness 
and readiness of God to give the blessing, nor 
a faith that apprehends the blessing, but a 
faith, so to speak, that persuades the mind 
into the belief that the blessing is received ; 
or, in other words, a faith in the reception of 
the blessing. This rendering, it will be seen, 
obliges the person engaged in prayer for divine 
blessings to believe in the reception of them 
as a condition of receiving them. This is not 
only a wonderful upsetting of the order of 
things, but a mixing up of the processes of 
the mind in such a confusion that the most 
astute mental philosopher would hardly be able 
to fathom the mysticism. But admitting all 
that is contended for about hxfj Stivers, — lam- 
banete, — being in the present tense, tnat fact 
has no force at all in supporting the construc- 
tion contended for, inasmuch as IVnm fyuTv, — 
'Mai humin, — destroys that force entirely, and 



188 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



throws la/ufidvexe, — lambanete, — into the fu 
ture. The literal rendering of the passage is, 
All you ask for, praying, believe that you shall 
r3ceive, and it shall be to you, or they shall 
be to you." — Sermon by Dr. W. P. S. 

After all this special pleading with regard 
to the rendering of Mark xi. 24, we hesitate 
not to say that the rendering of our English 
version is precisely correct. The word trans- 
lated " ye receive " is in the present tense ; 
and when Dr. S. will show us the rule by 
which his assertion is sustained that Imai tifilv 
destroys that force entirely, and throws la^pa- 
v8ts into the future, we will then believe ; but 
we are sure this can never be done. 

If the object of Dr. S. is merely to guard 
his hearers against the error of those who seem 
to teach that the effort of faith should be to 
embrace the fact of the receiving of the bless- 
ing, and thus make the belief that we receive 
the condition on which we receive, we have 
no objection; but we do object to his mis- 
translating the Bible to do it. If such an 



STANlATtD OF PIETY. 



189 



idea is ever inculcated, it is evidently errone- 
ous, as the fulfilment of the condition on which 
we receive any blessing must precede the re- 
ceiving, even in those cases where there can 
be no perceptible interval between the exercise 
of faith and the fulfilment of the promise. 
The faith, in view of which the penitent is 
forgiven, or the earnest seeker for purity is 
sanctified, is not belief merely — that being 
rather an intellectual process — though that is 
an element of it — but it is trust ; — the repose 
of the heart on the atonement, and on the 
sure word of promise. 

"Let others attempt to merd the theology 
of Christ, if they will," says Dr. True, " but 
1 affirm I know of no way to obtain this sal- 
vation but to follow the exact directions given — 
* Believe that you receive and you shall have.' " 

Truth and error very nearty approximate each 
other here. The points which terminate in ex- 
tremes nearly meet ; at least so thought Mr. 
Fletcher. In a letter addressed to Charles 
Wesley, he says : " The * Crede quod habes et 
aabes,' — believe rou have it and you have it, 



190 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



— is not very different from those words ot 
Christ, 6 What things soever ye desire when 
ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye 
shall have them.' The humble reason of the 
believer and the irrational presumption of the 
enthusiast, draw this doctrine to the right hand 
or to the left. But to split the hair — here 
lies the difficulty." — Works, vol. iv. p. 317. 

Believe you have it and you have it, is one 
extreme. Believe that you shall receive and 
you shall receive, is the other extreme ; and 
yet both are not very different from the truth, 
which is, Believe that ye receive, and ye 
shall have. But this difference is enough 
to produce a failure at every step. The first 
asks us to believe an absurdity — a false- 
hood ; while the latter leaves our faith with- 
out any point — perfectly indefinite. There 
is a vast difference between believing we have 
a thing, and believing we receive it. The 
text under consideration clearly inculcates this 
idea, — Believe that you receive, and you shall 
have. 

This faith is caricatured by Dr. S. in 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



191 



m the sermon before referred to ; at least, so 
.it seems to us. He says : " All this mighty 
exercise of faith is to be concentrated, not on 
the promise of God, or the merit of Christ, or 
his willingness to bestow it, and to bestow it 
at that moment ; but he is to struggle and 
work himself into the belief that he has the 
blessing ; and if he succeeds in this, then the 
blessing comes — he is sanctified." 

It is only necessary to remark that this is a 
man of straw. Nobody believes in such a 
faith, and nobody advocates it ; to our knowl- 
edge. 

We will not deny that the loose, inaccurate 
statements made by some have given slight oc- 
casion for such representations. But in en- 
deavoring to guard against error in that direc- 
tion, Dr. S. seems to have gone over to the 
other extreme, and to ignore the act of faith 
as embracing the promise of God for an im- 
mediate blessing. He seems, (perhaps he did 
not intend it,) to make a chasm between the 
act of faith and the bestowment of the bless- 
ing; as though we must make a full consecra* 



192 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



tion and believe that God will accept the sac- 
rifice, — the acceptance being indefinitely future 
to the act of faith. 

Now, according to the experience of thou- 
sands, the process seems to be this : The 
Christian seeking entire sanctification believes 
intellectually that entire conformity to the will 
of God, as to conduct and words, as to thoughts 
and affections, is his privilege and duty. He 
believes intellectually in the adaptation of the 
provisions which God has made, and in the 
truth of God's promise in this regard. Con- 
scious of impurity within, he earnestly desires 
to be cleansed from its least remains. Consid- 
ering the prayer of the apostle, " the very 
God of peace sanctify you wholly ; " and the 
assurance, " who also will do it ; " and " the 
blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth from 
all sin ; " and assured in his consciousness that 
he has brought his sacrifice to the altar and 
bound it there : that he has made a full sur- 
render, an unreserved consecration, with faith 
exercised through divinely-given power, (which 
power is requisite to the exercise of faith,) he 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



193 



says, 44 1 now give all. Thou hast promised 
to receive the gift. Thou dost now receive. 
The blood of Christ cleanses now ; " and in 
that moment, in view of the condition fulfilled, 
viz., his implicit faith in the promise and the 
atonement, the Holy Spirit does the work, and 
he is in that moment sanctified in soul, and 
body, and spirit. His faith then rests on the 
truth of God, and is not a belief that we re- 
ceive that we may receive, but, as Mr. Wesley 
expresses it, 4k a divine evidence and convic- 
tion that he doeth it ; 99 it being always under- 
stood — and this is the point to be guarded — 
that it is faith for a present blessing ; but the 
blessing is conditioned on faith, and is con- 
ferred at the v^ry instant the faith is exer- 
cised. 

W e are not saved because we have conse- 
crated all to God ; but having made &uch a 
consecration we are to believe that it is ac- 
cepted, and we are received for Christ's sake. 
We know not what else faith has to do. It is 
not enough that the gift touch the altar, it 
must be placed there in faith that * k the altar 
13 



194 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



sanctifieth the gift.'" Unbelief may cut off tha 
virtue of the altar, and leave the sacrifice un- 
touched by fire. Having placed our gift on 
the altar, we have the right to believe that 
God receives us according to his promise, with- 
out regard to our feelings. We then receive 
through that very faith we are graciously 
assisted to exercise. 

" But can I believe before I feel that the 
work is accomplished ? I may be deceived in 
my consecration, and without the feeling that 
the work is done I cannot believe." 

It seems to us that it would not require 
very much faith to believe we receive a bless- 
ing after it is received. It must be borne in 
mind that entire sanctification is a blessing 
conditioned on faith ; which faith must be ex- 
ercised before the blessing is received. But 
according to the dogma we are opposing the 
blessing comes first, and the faith upon which 
it is conditioned afterwards. 

If I cannot believe for entire sanctification 
until the evidence of its possession is clear, 1 
can never believe for it ; for the evidence of 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



195 



its possession must be subsequent to Its pos- 
session, unless we receive the evidence first 
and the blessing afterward. The scriptural 
order is, faith first, the Messing next, and the 
evidence last. But with many it is, the evi- 
dence first, the blessing next, and the faith last. 

This difficulty arises from confounding faith 
and evidence. That which assures us that the 
blessing is ours, is the evidence which God 
gives — the witness of the Spirit. And if we 
do not believe until this evidence is received, we 
shall never believe ; for this evidence, which we 
so much desire, is conditioned on faith — which 
faith must be exercised before the blessing is 
received. 

There is nothing upon which we depend 
more than upon feeling. We walk by serise, 
not' by faith. Feeling is not faith. Feeling 
ia not salvation. Feeling is not tht condition 
of salvation. That upon which salvation is 
conditioned must exist before it is received ; 
faith being that condition, it must exist before 
the salvation. Feeling is the effects or fruits 
of salvation, and follows it as salvation foi- 



196 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



lows faith ; neither faith nor salvation being 

dependent upon feeling for their existence. If, 
then, neither faith nor salvation are dependent 
upon feeling, they may both exist without feel- 
ing. If both may exist without feeling, then 
the evidence of their existence may be found 
in something other than feeling. We say, may 
exist ; for we cannot question but in most cases 
the feeling accompanies the faith, insomuch 
that it is somewhat difficult to separate them. 
Still we claim that faith may be exercised, and 
the blessing received, without what may be 
termed by many, feeling. What, then, is the 
ground upon which we rest our faith for the 
accomplishment of the work ? 

1. The promise of God. 

God has promised that on the performance 
of certain conditions he will receive me. I am 
conscious of having performed those condi- 
tions. With this consciousness I have the 
right to believe, tnen and there, that God 
performs his part, and the work is done. 

This is beautifully expressed by Charl *s 
Wesley : — 



STANDAKD OF PIETT. 



197 



" Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, 
And looks to that alone ; 
Laughs at impossibilities, 
And cries, It shall be done ! " 

2. That God will very soon give us feeling 
.s certain. Such a change cannot be wrought 
without very soon being felt through the whole 
soul. In fact, we should not rest until we 
have this conscious evidence. But let us not 
doubt God's word in the absence of emotion. 
While the absence of strong emotion is no ev- 
idence of a want of salvation, its presence is 
a very great assistance to faith, and very 
greatly aids us in our religious duties. This 
is a blessing we have the right to expect. 

Dr. C. K. True,' in a sermon preached at 
Eastham camp-meeting, August 11th, 1848, and 
published by request, makes some excellent re- 
marks on the particular point under consider- 
ation, and confirms them by his own experi- 
ence. He says : — 

" You need not be afraid to believe that you 
receive while you pray ; for according to the 
testimony of thousands you will thereupon re- 
ceive the direct witness of the Spirit. This ia 



.98 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



what you have hoped to receive first in order 
to believe ; but it comes, if it comes at all, as 
the confirmation of your faith. You heard 
upon this ground testimony last year which 
was of the most satisfactory character. One 
aged brother, whom I have known for years, 
and whom I have always considered a perfect 
and upright man, told us that for forty years 
he had been seeking holiness of heart ; but he 
never had the witness until he received it at 
this camp-meeting. But while in secret prayer, 
in the retirement of the woods, he received 
the witness of the Spirit. I heard his state- 
ment with the greatest pleasure ; for I had lis- 
tened to the same discourses which re had 
heard, and had endeavored to follow the di- 
rections which were given, similar to those 
which I have given to you now ; but I had 
received no special witness of the Spirit. I 
had confessed ^and abjured all my sins ; I had 
renewed my consecration to God ; I had cast 
myself on the atonement ; I had plead the 
promises, repeating them again and again, and 
I resolved to believe that my prayer was an- 



STANDARD OF PIETY* 



199 



*>wer°d, and not to doubt until I had e dence 
to the contrary. At this time, if any Chris- 
tian brother had asked about my state of mind, 
I should have said, 4 1 am trusting in God ; * 
but no more. I wanted to see that aged 
Christian, and ask him particularly to explain 
to me how he received the witness of the 
Spirit, and, if possible, to describe it ; but he 
left the ground before I accomplished my ob- 
ject. The day before the meeting was dis- 
solved I retired as usual into the woods, and 
laid the whole matter befo v e Cod, and told 
him all that was in my heart. At that time, 
while prostrate before him in consecration and 
prayer, what seemed a heavenly glory pervaded 
my soul and thrilled my body, accompaniid 
with a sense of union with God in affection 
and love. It seemed very distinct from any 
excitement of my own mind, and I felt it was 
the Spirit of God bearing witness with my 
spirit.' ' 

Here is not only a clear statement of the 
doctrine cf faith, but an experimental illustra- 
tion of it. When the entire consecration was 



200 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



made, all that was wanting was a simple oe« 
lief that God saves — not that he will save, 
but that he saves. We are to receive it when 
we believe. If we believe now, now is the 
time to receive the gift. A faith that postpones 
the reception of the blessing to some future 
time is not faith. With Mr. Wesley we would 
say, " If by faith, why not now ? Ask that 
it m?,y be done to-day, --while it is called to- 
day.'* 

Mr. Wesley says of that faith whereby we 
are sanctified, " It is a divine evidence and 
conviction that he is able and willing to do it 
now. And why r»ot ? Is not a moment to 
him the same as a thousand years ? He can- 
not wart more time to accomplish whatever is 
his will. 

" To this confidence, that God is able and 
willing to sanctify us now, there needs to be 
added one thing more — a divine evidence and 
conviction that he doeth it." 

Bishop Foster describes the faith that sancti- 
fies, as " reliance or trust in him [God] now, this 
moment, to do, accompanied with a belief that 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



20\ 



ne doeth it. Mark, that he now, when I be- 
lieve according to his promise, doeth it ; not. a 
belief that it is done, but, accompanying my 
faith, it being a sound faith, that he doeth the 
work." — Christian Purity, p. 132. 

" I believe this perfection is always wrought 
in the soul by a simple act of faith," says 
Mr. Wesley, " consequently, in an instant." 

The fact that we seek this blessing by faith 
alone, and not by works, shows that it may be 
received this moment. If it was obtained by 
works, we might delay its reception until our 
works were more perfect and more abundant. 
Too many seek it by works and not by faith. 
Mr. Wesley has givd us an excellent rule by 
which we may determine whether we are seek- 
ing it by faith or by wurks. He says : " And 
by this token you may surely know whether 
you seek it by works or by faith. If by works, 
you want something to be done first before you 
are sanctified. You think, I must first be or 
do thus or thus. If you seek it by faith, jou 
may expect it as you are ; and if as you £ *e, 
then expect it now It is of importance to 



202 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



observe that there is an inseparable connection 
between these three points. Expect it by faith 3 
expect it as you are, and expect it now. To 
deny one of them is to deny them all." — Vol. 
i. p. 391. 

We will leave the theory for a moment, and 
talk with the reader face to face, as a man 
would talk with his friend. 

Do you wish to be entirely sanctified, what- 
ever it may cost ? You say you have long de- 
sired it, and often prayed for it, and done all 
you knew to obtain it. This is all very well. 
You may have put forth a3 much physical ef- 
fort as is needful, for " bodily exercise profit- 
eth little." You have doubtless prayed as 
much and as earnestly as is necessary. Pray- 
ing will not save you. Your salvation is not 
conditioned on prayer, or " bodily exercise." 
Do you fully belie s^e in full salvation attainable 
in this life ? Do you believe it is your duty 
and your privilege to enjoy it now ? this mo- 
ment? just as you are? Be careful here and 
sfee that these points are all well settled; foi 
this being saved now, and as you are, is a 



STANDARD OF PIET Y. 



203 



point not so easily gained But you say, 44 all 
this I steadfastly believe." This being the case, 
are you willing to sacrifice all to and for Christ? 
Are you willing to do all God wills, and do it 
now, and to the end of life ? Such a sacrifice 
implies much. Are you willing to be singular 
if God calls you to it? — to be sneered at as 
one professing holiness ? These are the things 
at which nature rebels, because these are the 
things which crucify nature. Can you do it? 

Have you made an entire consecration of 
your all to God ? This consecration includes 
the body — hands, feet, eyes, ears, tongue, — 
all the Lord's. The soul — all its powers ; — 
love only what and as God requires. Your 
judgment, memory, will, with all the talents 
God has given you, are to be used, not ac- 
cording to your fancy and pleasure, but as God 
commands. Your property ; has that been 
handed over to God ? — all of it ? and forever ? 
Has it been given up to be used as God re- 
quires ? In fine, are family, worldly interests, 
health, life, reputation — all surrendered to 
G<*d r not for a day, but for the whole of life ? 



204 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



Has this been done? Are you assured of it? 
If so, take courage, you are not far from the 
kingdom ! God is near thee ! 

If you have given all to God, a kt living sac- 
rifice," you have the right to claim the prom- 
ise, " I will receive you." You have the right 
to believe that the promise is now fulfilled in 
you, and you are now saved. Christ, remem- 
ber, is your altar ; and if your sacrifice is 
complete, "the altar sanctifieth the gift." 
Whatsoever thus " toucheth the altar is holy." 
We repeat : If your gift is perfect, if your 
sacrifice is complete, if your consecration is 
not wanting at any point, the grace of en- 
tire sanctmcation must be given, then and 
there. I am net able to see how it can be 
otherwise. God cannot deny himself. He has 
promised, and must fulfil it. 

But you have no feeling. Did Christ say 
any thing about feeling ? "By grace are ye 
saved through faith" not feeling. But you 
have feeling. You may not have a 5 much as 
you desire, or as you have been expecting ; 
but you will not deny that you have feeling. 



STANDARli OF PIET1. 



205 



Which is the most reliable, an unmistakable 
oromise of God, or your emotions? Feelings 
may mislead and deceive me, but the promise 
of God never. You will have all the feeling 
vou need in due time ; but for the present it 
is your duty to believe. Be sure that your 
offering is without spot. Bring not the lame., 
the imperfect, but the best of the flock. .Bring 
all you have. 

Will you, at this moment, without any re- 
gard to your emotions, but in childlike faith, 
reckon yourself dead unto sin, and alive unto 
God ? Does not your faith rest on the prom- 
ise ? Can you not say, " All is the Lord's ! 
[ am his, from this day, this hour, this mo- 
ment, — to the end of life — forever." Will 
you say it ? do you say it ? have you said it ? 
If so, you have the right to praise him. In this 
state you can say, " He has washed away all my 
sins. I am his forever. Condemnation is gone, 
Sinful emotions cease. Praise the Lord T I am 
dead! but it is only unto sin. I am alive: but 
t is only unto God and holiness. I glory ! but 
it, is in the cross. 



206 



THE X E W T KSTAMENT 



Now, reader, east yourself into trie sea ; yon 
need not, you will not sink. Jesus comes 
walking on the water to lift up your sinking 
soul. He is near thee . believe it ! fie saves 
now ; only believe it. Believe as you are. 
Believe noiv, and yours is the bliss of perfect 
Jove. 

" In vain thou strugglest to get free 
I never will unloose my hold : N 
Art thou the Man that died for me r 

The secret of thy love unfold : 
Wrestling", I will not let thee go, 
Till I thy name, thy nature know 

" Yield to me now, for I am weak, 

But confident in self-despair j 
Speak to my heart, in blessing speak , 

Be conquered by my instant prayer : 
Speak, or thou never hence shalt move, 
And tell me if thy name be Love. 

" 'Tis love ! 'tis love ! thou diedst for me ; 

I hear thy whisper in my heart ; 
The morning breaks, the shadows flee ; 

Pure, universal love thou art : 
To me, to all, thy bowels move, — 
Thy nature and thy name is Love 

* My prayer hath power with God ; the grao* 

Unspeakable T now receive ; 
Through faith I see thee face to face ; 

I see thee face to face and live ! 
In vain I have not wept and strove ; 
Thy nature and thy name is Love. 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



c< I know thee, Saviour, who thou art — 
Jesus, the feeble sinner's Friend ; 

Nor wilt thou with the night depart, 
But stay and love me to the end : 

Thy mercies never shall remove ; 

Thy nature and thy name is Love/ 



208 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



CHAPTER X. 



THE STANDARD — EVIDENCES OF ITS AT- 



" Holy Ghost, no more delay ; 
Come, and in thy temple stay ; 
Now thine inward witness bear, 
Strong-, and permanent, and clear j 
Spring of life, thyself impart, 
Rise eternal in my heart." 

0\V may we know that we are entirely 



The acknowledged variety in Christian ex- 
p?.rie:n e present.; a formidable difficulty at this 
point. Owing to this variety, we shall find it 
no easy task to present the subject so as to 
satisfactorily meet every case. Experience here 
is not uniform. One of our witnesses testi- 
tiries : ,k There was no intellectual excitement, 
no very marked joy, when he reached this 
great rock of practical salvation. But he was 
distinctly conscious when he reached it." AT- 



TAINMENT. 




STANDARD OF PIETY. 209 

other witness, of equal intelligence, testifies 
that under its influence he " fell to the floor. 
Fur a few minutes the deep of God's love 
swallowed him up — all its waves and billows 
rolled over him." Another witness testifies 
that his " soul calmly rested on God ; although 
he did not, at the time, realize that his heart 
was cleansed from sin. He felt that he had 
given himself entirely to the Lord, and was 
safe in his hands. He never felt before such 
a trusting in him. He soon began to contrast 
his feelings with what they were a few hours 
previous to that time. All now within his breast 
was as serene and peaceful as a summer even- 
ing. Not a wave of trouble rolled." Another 
says : " This was like a God ! But why at- 
tempt to describe it with words ? The bright- 
ness of his glory has ofttimes been so great 
as almost to extinguish the lamp of this mor- 
tal life." Another says : " Every passion was 
laid even at once, and a sweet stillness, a 
peace like the waves of the sea, thrilled 
through the soul." Another says: "It was 
ike a mighty rushing wind in my soul, 
14 



210 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



extending itself through all my bodil) 

frame." 

From these illustrations we see how very 
difficult it would be to fix upon any standard 
of feeling by which to try ourselves. It is 
well that God has left this matter to be set- 
tled by individual experience. There are some 
characteristics, however, which pertain to all. 
To these we call the reader's attention. 

1. In the sanctified soul there is no conscious 
presence of unbelief 

Before this change is wrought, it is very dif- 
ficult to believe God. The magnitude of the 
promise staggers faith. Now, the wonder is, 
that all do not believe. There is no dispor 
tion to doubt. God's promises are real ; an6 
to doubt one of them seems to be as great % 
sin as could be committed. If feelings are 
not overpowering, faith is all-conquering. This 
we regard as one of the evidences of purity. 
Ample margin is left here for the variety in 
experience — for the strength of faith and the 
ardor of love. 

Mr. A.'s faith wiay soar to heaven on wingi 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



211 



of fire, while Mr. B.'s may reach the same 
point, but not with such burning emotion. Mr 
C.'s love may embrace as much as Mr. D.'s ; 
but it may not be as intensified. All rejoice 
in the absence of unbelief, while some may 
feel very much more the presence of faith and 
love than others. 

Those who exercise faith for full salvation 
are conscious of having believed, and of abid- 
ing in that faith through which they are saved. 
To doubt whether they believe or not, is not 
to believe at all. They cannot persuade 
themselves that to doubt and believe at the 
same time secures any blessing conditioned on 
faith. Such faith may exist in the absence of 
emotion. God is unchangeable. The promises 
are reliable. Faith rests on the promise alone, 
and the sanctified heart is conscious of the 
presence of such faith and victory. 

2. When the soul is entirely sanctified, there 
is no favorable response from within to temp- 
tations from without. 

" Satan cometh," says Jesus, " and hath 
nothing in me." " As he is, so are we ic 



212 



THE NEVT TESTAMENT 



this world." That nature to which Satan could 
lay no claim, is the nature which we may pos- 
sess in this life. When Satan presents his 
temptations to such a heart, he finds it " dead 
indeed unto sin." He finds no property there. 

The temptation of the sanctified Christian 
is a subject which has not been very geneially 
discussed in treatises on Christian holiness. A 
few remarks upon the subject may not be out 
of place here. 

It is claimed, on the one hand, that all Chris- 
tians are conscious of the fact of remaining 
impurity after conversion. They feel the mo- 
tions of sin, though it is not dominant. They 
have evil emotions, desires, and affections, to 
which they do not consent, in view of which 
they are humbled. 

On the other hand it is claimed, that these 
feelings are not sins, but infirmities or tempta- 
tions, and that so far as the will consents, sin 
exists ; and sin begins at the point of consent. 

To this it is replied; that sin, as an act, be- 
gins at the point of consent, but that sin, in 
» proper sense, and in one of its scriptural 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



213 



senses may exist even in the instinctive form 
of desire, and even back of that in the emo- 
tions. The instinctive action of the sensibili- 
ties is not what it was before the fall. The 
emotion of an angel in reference to a sinful 
object, and that of a devil towards the same 
object, are very different things. So of man in 
a depraved state, and man in a state of com- 
plete holiness. Take, for example, the emotions 
of satisfaction and pleasure. The desires in- 
clude the appetites and propensities. Take 
among the latter the propensity of self-love. 
It existed in man before the fall, and in Christ. 
In fallen man it universally and instinctively 
takes the form of selfishness. Again, the de- 
sire of esteem is modified by depravity into 
vanity. Of the affections, some of the modi- 
fications could not exist in a holy being, such 
as envy, jealousy, revenge. It is true that 
this sinful tendency of the sensibilities may 
and does receive strength from indulgence, but 
no one will contend that this tendency origi- 
nated in habit. For if so, then holiness may 
je the result of culture and development, an*? 



214 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



the new birth will be unnecessary. It seem* 
clear that while the sensibilities have an in- 
stinctive action, the character and direction of 
that action has been affected by the fall ; and 
this fact is referred to in such passages as, 
" Behold, I was shapen in iniquity," &c. " Let 
not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies," 
&c. "Ye were the servants of sin ; " "sin 
wrought in me all manner of concupiscence," 
&c. The moral sense of men tells them that 
this depraved action of the sensibilities, even 
if it be instinctive, is sinful, though there is 
not the same direct responsibility, guilt, or con- 
demnation as for wilful transgression. Conver- 
sion, or the new birth, does not remove at 
once and wholly this depraved tendency of the 
sensibilities. Love to God and holiness is im- 
planted, and this works a great and glorious 
change, even as to the activity of the depraved 
sensibilities. Yet that this depraved tendency 
of the sensibilities exists after conversion will 
not be doubted by any who have studied care- 
fully his own experience. This tendency did 
exist in those dearly-beloved brethren whom 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



215 



Sc. Paul exhorts by the divine premises, tc 
sleanse tnemselves from " all filthiness of the 
flesh and spirit," &c. Entire sanctification 
wholly removes this instinctive sinful tendency 
of the sensibilities. So that the success of an 
associate in pursuits with no more talents or 
industry than my own, in comparison with my 
utter defeat, would awaken at once and in- 
stinctively the feelings of envy and hatred in 
my heart while unrenewed, and even in my 
renewed but unsanctifled heart in a less de- 
gree, and the consciousness of them would 
greatly humble me, while there would be no 
such feelings in my heart, even for a moment, 
if it were wholly sanctified. 

It has been affirmed that temptation can only 
exist in the region of desire, excited towards 
a sinful object ; therefore, as we must always, 
while on probation, be subject to temptation, 
these excited desires are inseparable from any 
state of grace attainable in this life. Accord- 
ing to this view the term temptation is not to 
be applied to many things which have hereto- 
fore been considered such. For instance, havt? 



216 



THE N E W X L s 1 A M E N T 



we not all been troubled with speculative 
doubts r So with suggestions to evil, reiter- 
ated even daily and hourly. Now we admit, 
that if the temptation reaehes the stage of ex- 
cited desire, it must have been first in the in- 
tellectual perception, then in the emotion, and 
lastly in the desire. But must it go through 
all these several stages in order to be tempta- 
tion, and even severe temptation ? We say no. 
Temptation begins in the intellectual percep- 
tion. It may be stopped, and, in the case of 
the entirely-sanctified, it is stopped there. The 
thought is presented to the mind by the world, 
that is, by external objects, or by the devil, 
who has power to suggest evil to any mind. 
He did to Christ. In the unconverted man 
the emotions kindle, and desire is excited. In 
the unsanctified Christian there is emotion and 
desire, but not so strongly excited; and in pro- 
]3ortion to the remains of corruption in the 
heart is the strength of the emotion and the 
excited desire. This is our meaning when we 
speak of the flesh in combination with the 
devil. It i& the teaching of our church that 



STANDAKD OF PIETY. 



211 



we may be freed from the temptati u: of the 
flesh, i. e., that it may be restricted to the in- 
tellection. If the emotions are excited it will 
be against the temptation, not in its favor. 
To make this plain, we refer to the temptation 
of Christ. The devil on the pinnacle of the 
temple suggested to him the promise, " He 
shall give his angels charge," &c, and urged 
him to test it by experiment. Does any one 
suppose that Christ had an emotion of pleas- 
ure in view of this suggestion, or an instinc- 
tively excited desire to yield ? Did not his 
emotions rather rise at once against the sug- 
gestion ? So with the other temptations of 
Christ. 

So also the temptation, in yielding to which 
Eve became depraved. It was a suggestion to 
unbelief, and was an address to the intellect. 
The moment she yielded intellect u ally to the 
suggestion to doubt God's word, in that mo- 
ment and in that doubt she fell Her amo- 
tions and desires were then depraved, and she 
lusted after the forbidden fruit. Her duty vas, 
in the instant that the devil said, " Ye & lalJ 



218 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



not surely die," to have repelled the tempta- 
tion. Neglecting to do it, she fell. Then her 
own depravity suggested the temptation which 
led immediately to disobedience. 

If the heart is unsanctified, the temptation 
when presented finds a favorable response in 
the emotions, and to some extent in the de- 
sires. The judgment proclaims the indulgence 
unlawful ; the will refuses to yield, but the 
affections cling to the object presented. The 
mind does not readily disconnect itself from 
the contemplation of the subject. It comes up 
again and again, and each time its shining ex- 
terior, like the scales of the serpent, allure us, 
while the enlightened judgment warns us of 
the poison that lurks beneath the bright and 
attractive exterior. 

Not so with the heart wholly sanctified. The 
same object may be presented ; but instead of 
the emotions being excited in its favor, and 
desire excited for the object, or any delight 
experienced in its contemplation, there is at 
once a universal rebellion throughout the whole 
soul. There is nothing which gives a favorable 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



219 



response to such presentations. The judg:nent 
proclaims the indulgence a great sin, and the 
whole emotional nature takes up arms to figh' 
the base intruder. This I conceive to be the 
difference between the temptation of a sancti- 
fied and an unsanctified soul. 

Mr. Wesley states the matter thus : " One 
commends me. Here is a temptation to pride. 
But instantly my soul is humbled before God. 
And I feel no pride ; of which I am as sure 
as that pride is not humility. 

" A man strikes me. Here is a temptation 
to anger. But my heart overflows with love. 
And I feel no anger at all ; of which I can 
be as sure, as that love and anger are not the 
same. 

44 A woman solicits me. Here is a tempta- 
tion to lust. But in the instant I shrink back. 
And I feel no desire or lust at all ; of which 
T can be as sure as that my hand is cold ur 
not. 

44 Thus it is, if I am tempted by a present 
.object ; and it is just the same if, when it is 
absent, the devil recalls a commendation, as 



220 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



injury, or a woman, to my mind. In the in 
stant the soul repels the temptation, and re- 
mains filled with pure love." — Works, vol, 
vi. p. 515. 

The temptation may be strong ; the whole 
house shaken by the power of the enemy, and 
yet it may all be from without. If there be 
no response from within, except to oppose ; if 
no delight in the contemplation of the object, 
but utter rebellion, then may the heart con- 
clude it has reached the Standard of Piety 
for which we contend. 

3. The direct witness of the Spirit. 

We shall not attempt an exhaustive dis- 
cussion of the witness of the Spirit to our 
entire sanctification. We shall do little more 
than indicate, in some general remarks, the 
view of the church on the subject. It is a 
subject replete with interest, but encompassed 
with mystery. But it should not be rejected 
because of its mysterious operations. Like 
the wind, we can "hear the sound thereof/' 
and feel the sweet, refreshing influences pro- 
duced, but beyond this " it is better felt 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



221 



than expressed." It does not make known 
the fact of our purity in audible words. No 
sound is heard ; and yet it is a clear, unmis- 
takable impression upon the soul that the 
work is done. 

" la relation to the subject involved in this 
inquiry," says Dr. Upham, 44 it does not ap- 
pear that any specific and certain rule can be 
laid down. The method of the divine opera- 
tion appears to be one of the secret things 
which are hidden with God. Accordingly, the 
Holy Spirit, so far as the method or manner 
of his influence is concerned, operates differ- 
ently in different cases." 

"If you ask us to explain the meaning of the 
Spirit's witnessing," says Bishop Foster, "we 
might be at a loss to do so. The mode is ex- 
ceedingly difficult, either to understand or con- 
ceive ; but the thing itself every Christian 
knows by experience, and upon the authority 
of God's word. This is sufficient ; nothing 
more can be necessary, however desirable. This 
*r.ch we may say, the method of the Spirit's 



222 



THE NkW TESTAMENT 



witness we do not conceive to be by setsibie 

signs ; it may be accompanied by such, but is 
not ordinarily ; not by an audible voice ; not 
by a visible manifestation ; not by a sensible 
touch ; not any thing of this kind ; and yet 
the witness is direct and assured, as much so 
as though accompanied with outward manifes- 
tations. " 

" It is hard to find words in the language 
of men," says Mr. Wesley, " to explain tne 
deep things of God. Indeed, there are none 
that will adequately express what the Spirit of 
God works in his children." 

We cannot do better, in describing the wit- 
ness of the Spirit, than to introduce the sub- 
stance of what our best writers have said upon 
the subject. 

" By the testimony of the Spirit" says Mr. 
Wesley, " I mean an inward impression on 
the soul, whereby the Spirit of God immedi- 
ately and directly witnesses to my spirit that 
I am a child of God ; that Jesus Christ hath 
loved me, and given himself for me ; that all 
my sins are blotted out, and I, even I, am 



STANDARD OF PIET?. 



22-5 



reconciled to God, or cleanse ! from all sin, and 
fully renewed in the image of God. 

" I do not mean hereby, that the Spirit of 
God testifies this by any outward voice ; no 
nor always by an inward voice, although he 
may do this sometimes. Neither do I suppose 
that he always applies to the heart (though he 
often may) one or more texts of Scripture. 
But he so works upon the soul by his imme- 
diate influence, and by a strong, though inex- 
plicable operation, that the stormy wind and 
troubled waves subside, and there is a great 
calm." 

"The witness of the Spirit/' says Bishop 
Foster, " is a consciousness wrought in the soul, 
that a change is effected. The soul takes 
knowledge of itself — of its own state — and 
so bears witness to the change ; the Spirit of 
God joins with ours, in that manner in which 
spirit can impress other spirits, and as3erts also 
the same truth ; we are conscious, or by some 
means assured, that such an impression s made, 
and made by the Divine Spirit; and although 
we cannot tell how, yet the soul knows, 



221 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



beyond a doubt, that the impression is from 
God/' 

Another writer says : " When this testimony 
is given, the clearness and strength of divine 
light so fully and powerfully penetrates every 
channel of the heart, as to lay open to the 
mental vision the entire moral aspect, and im- 
press the whole inner man with the invincible 
persuasion that the reign of grace is complete. 
And though it is possible for one who has 
never had this testimony to substitute for it 
some strong, rapturous emotion, or some sud- 
den and overwhelming influence of the Spirit, 
yet when this divine witness is received, it will 
be found to be unlike any thing else ; whether 
transports of joy, flights of imagination, or 
suspensions of physical and animal powers. 
Nor can any agency, human, angelic, or infer- 
nal, fabricate a counterfeit that can escape in- 
stant detection by one svho has known this 
witness of the Spirit." 

u If the Spirit bears witness with us," says 
Mr. Lee, " it must be a matter of conscious- 
ness, and this conscious' iess assures us that 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



we do not mistake the fact that the Spirit 
beareth witness. Consciousness is the highest 
degree of evidence ; that of which a man is 
conscious cannot be proved by any clearer 01 
more certain evidence. This renders the proof 
sure, as the witness of our own spirit per- 
fectly confirms the witness of the Holy Spirit, 
as follows : — 

" Whatever the Holy Spirit testifies must be 
true, for the Spirit cannot lie. Here conscious- 
ness comes in and affirms that the Spirit does 
thus testify, and consciousness is the highest 
proof the soul can have of any fact." 

It may be further added, that if the " New 
Testament Standard of Piety " embraces the 
witness of the Spirit, which few will deny, 
may we not look for it with unerring certainty ? 
May we not look for that witness to be un- 
doubted ? So it seems to me. It is not a 
witness of the Spirit to any abstract dogma or 
fact, but God's Spirit bearing witness to its 
own work in the heart of the believer. 

This witness brings with it a keen sense of 
internal corruption, and prays earnestly " the 
15 



226 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



first approach of sin to feel." It sees the 
atonement in its sufficiency, and the exalted 
nature of holiness. Faith increases, and sees 
no reason for doubting one of God's promises. 
To doubt is to sin. Joy it may have, — docs 
have, — but not always. Peace is always abid- 
ing. There is such a variety in experience 
here that we shall do well to " call no man 
master," but be satisfied, if saved. There is 
such a sweet sense of the divine presence and 
favor ; such an assurance of present salvation ; 
such a consciousness of a union of God and 
the soul, that Mr. A. calls it, "rest in God;" 
Mr. B., " the fulness of God;" Mr. C., "sink- 
ing into God;" Mr. D., "union with God;" 
Mr. E., " the life of faith;" Mr. F., M the in- 
terior life " etc. There is complete victory 
over sin. The soul rests upon the Rock of 
Ages firmly, and is fully armed for any as- 
sault. Love flows into the soul in a steady 
current. In some, it is like fire. Christ is 
the one altogether lovely. Earthly objects, 
however dear, fade before the blessed Gad of 
love, and every thought is " brought into cap- 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



227 



tivity to the obedience cf Christ.'' Our wills 
are in perfect, subjection to the will of God. 
If there is a call to duty ; — no matter what, 
where, or how ; — " Thy will be done," is the 
ready response. If there is a call to suffer ; — 
no matter how long or how severely ; — " Thy 
will be done ! " In this state the Christian 
cannot but be happy. He may have trials, but 
they drive him nearer to God. He puts his 
hand in the hand of his Father, and wherever 
the Father leads him he willingly and lovingly 
goes, for the Father is with him. He looks 
about for his former sins, but they are all gone. 
Temptations come, which formerly found a sud- 
den response from within ; they knock for en- 
trance, but the whole house is up in arms to 
bolt and bar every avenue to keep out the 
base intruder. Such is the sanctified soul. 

Mr. Wesley has made some excellent re- 
marks, in the form of .questions and answers, 
which we will introduce here. 

" Question. How do you know that you 
are sanctified, — saved from your inbred ?or« 
ruption ? 



228 



T HE NEW T E S T A M £ X T 



44 Answer, I can know it no otherwise than 
I know that I am justified. 4 Hereby know 
we that we are of God,' in either sense, 4 by 
the Spirit that he hath given us.' 

" We know it by the witness and by the 
fruit of the Spirit. And, first, by the wit- 
ness. As when we were justified the Spirit 
bore witness with our spirit that our sins were 
forgiven, so when we were sanctified he bore 
witness that they were taken away. Indeed, 
the witness of sanctification is not always clear 
at first; (as neither is that of justification;) 
neither is it afterwards always the same, but 
like that of justification — sometimes stronge: 
and sometimes fainter. Yea, and sometimes it 
is withdrawn. Yet, in general, the latter tes- 
timony of the Spirit is both as clear and as 
steady as the former. 

44 Q. But what need is there of it — seeing 
sanctification is a real change, not relative only, 
like j ustification ? 

44 A. But is the new birth a relative change 
only ? Is not this a real change ? Therefore, 
if we need no witness of our sanctification, 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



229 



because it is a real change, for the same rea- 
son we need none, that we aie born of, or 
are the children of God. 

" Q. But does not sanctification shine by 
its own light ? 

" A. And does not the new birth too ? 
Sometimes it does ; and so does sanctification ; 
at others it does not. In the hour of tempta- 
tion Satan clouds the work of God, and in- 
jects various doubts and reasonings, especially 
in those who have either very weak or very 
strong understandings. At such times there is 
absolute need of that witness, without which 
the work of sanctification not only could not 
be discerned, but could no longer subsist. 
Were it not for this, the soul could not abide 
in the love of God ; much less could it re- 
joice evermore, and in every thing give thanks. 
In these circumstances, therefore, a direct tes- 
timony that we are sanctified is necessary in 
the highest degree. 

" But I have no witness that I am saved 
from sin. And yet I have no doubt of it. 

M Very well; as long as you have no doubt, it 



230 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



is enough ; when you have, you will need that 
witness/' — Works, vol. vi. pp. 515, 516. 

But where is this doctrine taught in the 
Bible ? The Scriptures do declare that we 
may have the witness of the Spirit to our 
adoption, but where does it declare that we 
may have it to our sanctification ? 

A learned doctor once put this question to 
a class of theological students during an ex- 
amination; with the evident purpose to cast 
doubt upon the subject. But in doing this 
he was directly antagonizing the doctrine of 
his churchy which these young men were 
being educated to preach and defend. 

Mr. Wesley has clearly and satisfactorily 
answered this inquiry, — 

" That Scripture, 4 we have received, not 
the spirit that is of the world, but the Spirit 
which is of God ; that we may know the 
things which are freely given us of God.' — 
1 Cor. ii. 12. 

" Now surely sanctification is one of 6 the 
things which are freely given us of God.' And 
no possible reason can be assigned why this 



STANDARD OF I tETY. 



231 



should be excepted, when the apostle says, 
1 We receive the Spirit ' for this very end. 
4 that we may know the things which are ' 
thus 4 freely given us.' 

44 Is not the same thing implied in that well- 
known Scripture, 1 The Spirit itself witnesseth 
with our spirit, that we are the children of 
God?' Rom. viii. 16. Does he witness this 
only to those who are children of God in the 
lowest sense ? Nay, but to those also who 
are such in the highest sense. And does he 
not witness that they are such in the highest 
sense ? What reason have we to doubt it ? 

46 Consider likewise, (1 John v. 19,) 4 W r e 
know that we are of God.' How ? * By the 
Spirit that he hath given us.' Nay, 6 hereby 
we know that he abideth in us.' And what 
ground have we, either from Scripture or rea- 
son, to exclude the witness, any more than 
the fruit, of the Spirit, from being here in- 
tended ? By this, then, also 4 we know that 
we are of God,' and in what sense we are ?o \ 
whether we are babes, young men, or father, 
*ve know in the same manner. 



232 THE NEW TESTAMENT 

" Not that I affirm that all young men, di 
even fathers, have this testimony every mo- 
ment. There may be intermissions of the di- 
rect testimony that they are born of God ; but 
some have the testimony both of justification 
and sanctification without any intermission at 
all ; which I presume more might have, did 
they walk humbly and closely with God." — 
Works, vol. vi. pp. 516, 517. 

A word of caution : Do not look for too 
much, — more than God sees fit to give. Do 
not look to be smitten to the earth by the 
power of God, — to be overwhelmed with the 
divine glory. Do not look to have your 
tongue unloosed in an uncommon degree, so 
that you may speak with great correctness, in- 
telligence, and power, without thought and 
without preparation. Simply look to be saved 
from sin, and filled with pure love to God. 
It may come " with observation" and it may 
come in the still small voice. You may be 
wafted to heaven on a tempest-tossed ocean, 
as by a " rushing mighty wind," and you 
may be borne along upon a sea without a 



WJTPAttD OP PIETY. 



233 



/ipple, sped oy winds, soft as tht balmy ait 
of Eden. 

The evidence may be delayed fc or a time, 
but fear not, faith will be victorious, and the 
soul shall find permanent rest in God. 

Let the prayer of your heart be, — 

" Come as thou wilt, I that resign, 
But O, my Jesus, come." 



234 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



CHAPTER XI 



THE STANDARD — HOW RETAINED. 

" In a land ol corn and wine 

Shall Israel dwell below.' 
Comforts there, and blessings join, 

And milk and honey flow ! 
Jacob's well is in his soul, 

Gracious dews his heavens distil, 
Fill his soul, already lull, 

And shall forever fill. 

" Blest, O Israel, art thou ! 

What people is like thee ! 
Saved from sin, by Jesus, now 

Thou art and still shalt be. 
Jesus is thy seven-fold shield, 

Jesus is thy flaming' sword ; 
Earth, and hell, and sin shall yield 

To God's almighty word." 




OW may the blessing of entire sanctiji- 
cation be retained ? The reader may 



be assured that this cannot be done without 
special and constant effort. There is no point 
of absolute safety until " mortality is swallowed 
up of life." Satan is always on the alert 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



235 



"oady to sow tares whenever, for a moment, 
watchfulness is wanting, or faith wavering. 

1. In order to retain this blessing, there 
must be a frank and prudent confession of it. 

It has been urged that it ought not to be 
confessed except on special occasions, and in 
the presence of those who enjoy it, or are 
earnestly seeking it. 

One writer urges those who enjoy entire 
sanctification, 44 not to attach too much impor- 
tance to profession." He admits 44 there may 
be times when it will be well and profitable 
to declare it ; but there are other times when 
you should not introduce it. Do not fall into 
the delusion that profession should be confi- 
dently and often made. Depend upon it, it 
will savor more of pride than grace ; it will 
influence backward more than forward. You 
are tempted that it is for the glory of God." 
— Christian Purity. 

Whether this writer is qualified to judge 
correctly of every man's duty in the matter of 
confession, in the absence of all scriptural au- 
thority, we will not stop to inquire; especially, 



Til K N EAV T EST AM ENT 



when most persons who enjoy this state of 
grace, tell ns expressly, that without a fr^nk 
and full confession of what God has done for 
them, they cannot retain it. A man should 
be divinely inspired to command silence here. 

Another writer stoutly opposes a profession 
of holiness in every case. Hear him : 

I like the idea of a brother minister, who, 
when consulted by a young person of his 
charge as to the best time and manner for 
professing holiness, advised him to live it out 
daily as fast as he pleased, before the church 
and the world. And while I admit that there 
are persons from whose lips a profession of 
entire sanctification would be believed, and 
would ' minister grace to the hearers,' I still 
lelieve that, as a general thing, it is as well 
not to make such profession, but to 4 live out * 
all the grace we can get, be the same more 
or less ; whether the blade, the ear, or the full 
corn in the ear. ... I am not sure that 
any of the apostles, or Wesley, Watson, 
Fletcher, Clarke, Coke, or Asburj ever pub- 
licly professed entire sanctification. They seem 



STANDAliD OF PIETY. 



237 



to have thought it better to let their works 
indicate the amount of grace which they re- 
spectively enjoyed." — Thoughts on Entire 
Sanctification. 

While one writer admits the propriety of a 
limited profession, if made with great care, the 
other regards the whole thing as unnecessary, 
and thinks it should not he done. He also 
claims that the "Apostles, Wesley, Fletcher, 
etc., never made a public profession of entire 
sanctification." 

We cannot tell what this writer may mean 
by a "public profession:' If by it he means 
that they never professed to be saved from all 
sin ; in regard to most of them, we should 
be disposed to join issue with him. 

It seems to be settled beyond controversy, 
that the apostles made such profession ; and it 
does seem that he who denies it, must read 
the Bible with particular reference to sustain- 
ing a cherished dogma. 

St. Paul makes this confession : " The law 
of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesi s hath made 
me free from the law of sin and death." ;t I 



THE NEW T E ST A. M E X T 



am crucified with Christ : nevertheless, I live ; 
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me ; and the 
life which I now live in the flesh, I live by 
the faith of the Son of God.'* To the Thes- 
salonians he says : " Ye are witnesses, and God 
also, how holily, and justly, and unblamably, 
we have behaved ourselves among you." To 
the Philippians he says : " Let us therefore, as 
many as be perfect, be thus minded." 

With these Scriptures before him, this writer 
is "not sure that any of the apostles ever 
publicly professed entire sanctification." How 
could they have done it more explicitly ? 

Mr. Eletcher differs somewhat from our 
brother! He will have it that St. Paul "pro- 
fessed his having attained a perfection of 
Christian faith working love." He further 
states that St. John "professed what our op- 
ponents call sinless perfection, and what we 
call Christian perfection." 

Mr. Wesley, who may be regarded as very 
good authority, claims that St. John is speak- 
ing of himself, and other living Christians, 
when he says, " Herein is our love made per- 



STANDARD OF PIE1Y. 



239 



feet ; because, as he is, so are we in this 
world." 

The rules of prudence inculcated by Mr. 
Wesley in regard to profession, are all proper 
in their place, when properly understood. We 
believe they are generally observed by out 
people. 

Mr. Wesley's views of professing holiness. 

That his views were very much modified by 
experience, cannot be doubted. Bishop Foster 
quotes from his early views on this subject, as 
follows : — 

" Question. Suppose one had attained to this, 
would you advise him to speak of it? 

" Answer. At first, perhaps, he would scarce 
be able to refrain, the fire would be so hot within 
him ; his desire to declare the loving-kindness 
of the Lord carrying him away like a torrent. 
But afterwards he might ; and then it would 
be advisable not to speak of it to them that 
know not God; (it is most likely it would 
only provoke them to contradict and blas- 
pheme ;) nor to others without some particular 
reason, without some good in view." 



240 



x h j: k e \v t e s t a m k n t 



These views of Mr. Wesley were put forth 
some time before the great revival of holiness, 
which, it must be confessed, materially modi- 
fied his views on the subject. His more ma- 
ture views are found in his letters, etc., after 
a more extended observation. Clearer light 
shines here. 

To Joseph Benson he writes, in 1782: " 1 
doubt we are not explicit enough, in speaking 
on full sanctification, either in public or pri- 
vate." — Works, vol. vii. p. 81. To John King, 
one of his preachers, he writes, in 1787 : " It 
requires a great degree of watchfulness to re- 
tain the perfect love of God ; and one great 
means of retaining it is, frankly to declare 
what God has given you, and earnestly to ex- 
hort all the believers you meet with to follow 
after full salvation." — Vol. vii. p. 13. In 
1766, he urges Mrs. Crosby to "encourage 
Richard Black well and Mr. Colley to speak 
plainly, and to press believers to the constant 
pursuit and earnest expectation of Christian 
perfection." He further says : " A generai 
faintness, in this respect, is fallen upon the* 



STAJMDA.R 1 ) OF PIETY. 



241 



whole kingdom. Sometimes I seem almost 
weary of striving against the stream both of 
ureackers . and people." To Miss Briggs he 
writes : " Undoubtedly it would be a cross to 
declare w r hat God has done for your soul ; nay, 
and afterwards Satan would accuse you on the 
account, telling you ' you did it out of pride.' 
Yea, and some of your sisters [and brothers] 
would blame you, and perhaps put the same 
construction upon it, as many are doing. Nev- 
ertheless, if you do it with a single eye, it 
will be pleasing to God." Of Joseph Norbury, 
whom he buried in 1763, he says: " For about 
three years he has humbly and boldly testified 
that God- had saved him from all sin." — Works, 
vol. iv. p. 165. 

There was much opposition in London to 
professing entire sanctification. Mr. Wesley, 
in a letter to his brother Charles, who was 
about to visit them, urges him to encourage 
such profession. He had fears that his brother 
might favor the opposition, as he had done in 
Bristol. " I believe you will rather encourage 
them to speak, humbly and modestly, the words 
16 



242 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



of truth and soberness. Great good has flowed 
and will flow therefrom. Let your knowledge 
direct, not quench, the fire. That has been 
done too much already." Writing to "a mem- 
ber of the society," he says : " I am glad 
you have at length broke through those evil 
reasonings which so long held you down, and 
prevented you from acknowledging the things 
which were freely given to you of God." 
This was with regard to a humble confession 
of entire sanctification. 

We might extend these quotations to almost 
any length, but will only give Mr. WYs views 
of preaching the doctrine, illustrating the same 
idea. 

Writing to "a member of the society," he 

says: "I think M P enjoys this, 

[Christian perfection,] and grows in grace con- 
tinually. So do two or three more members 
of this society. But they sadly want more 
searching preachers; and those that would 
help them forward by explaining the deep 
things of God." — Vol. vi. 776. He writes to 
Mr. Merryweather as follows : " My deal 



STANDABD OF PIETY, 



243 



Brother, — Where Christian perfect: m is not 
strongly and explicitly preached, there is seldom 
any remarkable blessing from God ; and, con- 
sequently, little addition to the society, and 
little life in the members of it. Therefore, if 
Jacob Rowell is grown faint, and says but little 
about it, do you supply his lack of service. 
Speak, and spare not. Let not regard for any 
man induce you to betray the truth of God, 
Till you press believers to expect full salvation 
now, you must not look for any revival." — 
Works, vol. vi. p. 761. 

These men were private members of the 
church, and as such he exhorts them to make 
proclamation of this grace, and urge it upon 
all. How unlike many teachers, who exhort 
to silence on the subject of entire sancti- 
fication ! 

Mr. Wesley writes to his brother Charles as 
follows : "I find almost all our preachers, in 
every circuit, have done with Christian perfec- 
tion. They say they believe it, but they never 
preach it; or not once in a qrarter. What 
grail be done? Shall we let it Jrop, or make 



244 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



a point of it?" Of one society he says: "J 
examined the society, and was surprised to find 
fifty members fewer than I left in it in Octo- 
ber last. One reason is, Christian perfection 
has been little insisted on ; and, where this I» 
not done, be the preachers ever so eloquent, 
there is little increase either in the number or 
grace of the hearers." Of another place he 
says : " Here I found the work of God had 
gained no ground in this circuit all the year. 
The preachers have given up ' the Methodist 
testimony. Either they did not speak of per- 
fection at all, (the peculiar doctrine committed 
to our trust,) or they speak of it only in gen- 
eral terms, without urging believers to go on 
to perfection. And where this is not earnestly 
done, the work of God does not prosper." 
Again he says: "William Hunt and John 
Watson were not men of large gifts, but zeal- 
ous for Christian perfection, and, by their warm 
conversation on this head, kindled a flame in 
some of the leaders. These pressed others 
to seek it, and, for this end, appointed meet- 
ings for prayer. The fire spread wider and 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



245 



wider, until the whole society was in a 
flame." 

These extracts are sufficient to exhibit Mr. 
Wesley's mature views of confession. He at 
first had strong objections to a profession of 
entire sanctification, except on very special oc- 
casions. After a more extended experience and 
thorough examination of the subject, he both 
believed and taught that a humble profession 
and public presentation of the subject greatly 
promoted the work of God, and advanced the 
individual professor in all the graces of the 
Spirit. 

Those who attempt to force any other senti- 
ment from Mr. Wesley, it seems to us, cannot 
have read him carefully, or if they have, not 
with candor. His clearest views may be found 
scattered throughout his letters of a later pe- 
riod, addressed to earnest seekers and inquirers. 

The objection frequently urged that Mr. 
Wesley did not profess entire sanctification, is 
of but little weight, so long as he urged the 
preachers to preach it, and the people to ex- 
Dect it now, and by faith, and then profess if 



246 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



befort the church and the world ; and all this, 
in ordei to retain the grace and promote the 
work of revival. Would Mr. Wesley be likely 
to urge upon others a duty which he woui^ 
not perform ? 

But how do we know that Mr. Wesley did 
not profess entire sanctification ? Has he so 
stated ? Let it be remembered that Mr. Wes • 
ley does not record his personal religious ex 
perience in his journals. He says no more 
about his justification, (except that at Alders- 
gate Chapel he felt his " heart strangely 
warmed") than he does of his sanctification. 
Are we to conclude from this that he never 
professed justifying grace ? The presumptive 
evidence is in favor of profession ; and not a 
word against it. 

Mr. Wesley gives an account of a love-feast 
held by him at Macclesfield, as follows : — 

" In the evening we had a love-feast ; and 
such a one as I had not seen for many years. 
Sixteen or eighteen persons gave a clear, scrip- 
tural testimony of being renewed in love. 
A.nd many others told what God had done foi 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



247 



their souls, with inimitable simplicity." — Works 
rol. iv. p. 557. 

Hester Ann Roe — afterwards Rogers — was 
present, and in her unpublished journals gives 
a very full account of that love-feast. Among 
other things she says : — 

" After preaching was the love-feast, and, 
glory be to God, it was a season much to be 
remembered ; near forty made a noble confes- 
sion. George Bradock spake humtly and 
wisely, and declared boldly he was cleansed 
from all sin. Soon, after J spoke, and how was 
, I filled with glory, and with God; my soul 
was wrapped up in his presence and love. John 
Bowby spoke clearly of receiving sanctification 
by faith alone, and retaining it nineteen years 
by still acting a momentary faith. He men 
tioned two women at Kettlesum, one of whom 
had, for twenty years, been seeking a gradual 
sanctification from all sin, by self-righteousness, 
watchings, prayer, &c, yet she was now con- 
vinced she never could watch and pray in the 
gospel sense, till she had received a heart from 
sin set free by faith alone, and that to every 



248 



THE N E W T EST AM E N T 



bouI who feels its need, * now is the accepteJ 
time, now is the day of salvation.' As sooir 
as she discovered this, she ventured her soui 
on Jesus as a perfect Saviour, and proved hin« 
to be to her according to her faith. 

" T. Ridgeway bore a glorious testimony foi 
God, and declared he received the blessing of 
sanctification in a moment, by simple faith, 
after trying to sanctify himself for three years 
together, by gradually mortifying every cor- 
rupt affection, &c. Several others all declared 
the same precious truths, that by grace they 
are saved through faith, and that from all sin. 

" S. Bradshaw professed justification, but owned 
he did not experience what he now heard, though 
he had been a Methodist twenty-nine years. 
Mr. .Wesley got up and said, those who love 
God with all their heart must expect much 
opposition from professors who have gone on 
for twenty years in a lazy, old beaten track, 
and fancy they are wiser than all the world ; 
these always oppose the work of sanctification 
most. When I. Goostry, a boy, spoke, Mr. 
Wesley ordered him to stand on the form 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



249 



that he might be heard; but he was then so 
confused he could not say all he intended ;. but 
Mr. Wesley was much pleased with him, and 
said many things to encourage the young in 
years. He also said, some people accuse us 
of seeking salvation by works ; they may as 
well accuse us of playing at push-pin. How 
many have declared to-night that they are 
saved by grace and through faith alone ! Mr. 
Wesley allowed the meeting to continue two 
hours, which I never knew him to do before ; 
but his whole soul was filled with love and 
thankfulness for so many witnesses of redeem- 
ing love and full salvation." — Guide> June 
1860. 

And yet, strange as it may appear, Mr. 
Wesley utters no word of condemnation for 
this public profession of entire sanctification. 
but permits all to speak freely, and encourages 
them in such profession. 

It is affirmed, also, that Mr. Fletcher did 
not profess entire sanctification. 

Knowing what we do of Mr. Fletcher's 
teachings and practice with regard to this sub- 



250 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



jeet, we do not understand the motive which 
prompts a professedly good man to make such 
a statement. Let us examine his teachings. 
In his M Last Check to Antinomianism" he 
addresses perfect believers in the following lan- 
guage : — 

" When you are solemnly called upon to 
bear testimony to the truth, and to say what 
great things God has done for you. it would 
be cowardice or false prudence not to do it 
with humility. Be then 4 always ready to give 
an answer to every man who asketh you a 
reason of the hope that is within you. with 
meekness [without fluttering anxiety] and with 
fear ' [with a reverential awe of God upon your 
minds.] Perfect Christians are 1 burning and 
shining lights.' and our Lord intimates that, 
as fc a candle is not lighted to be put under a 
bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may 
give light to all the house ; ' so God does not 
light the candle of perfect love to hide it in 
a corner, but to give light to all those who 
are within the reach of its brightness. If 
diamonds glitter, if stars shine. If flowers dis- 



BTANDAKD OF PIETY. 



251 



olay their colors, and perfumes diffuse their 
fragrance to the lienor of the Father of lights, 
and Author of every good gift ; if without 
self-seeking they disclose his glory to the ut- 
most of their pcwer, why should ye not go 
and do likewise ? Gold answers its most val- 
uable end when it is brought to light, and 
made to circulate for charitable and pious uses ; 
and not when it lies concealed in a miser's 
strong box, or in the dark bosom of a mine. 

" If you can say to the glory of God, that 
you are alive, and feel very well, when it is 
so, why should you not also testify to his 
honor, that you ' live not, but that Christ 
liveth in you/ if you really find that this is 
your experience ? " 

So much fir Mr. Fletcher's teachings with 
regard to a humble, yet explicit confession of 
entire sanctification. We come now to inquire 
whether he ever professed it. 

Hester Ann Rogers gives an account of a 
meeting in Leeds, where Mr. Fletcher makes 
the following profession: "When I first re- 
ceived this grace, Satan bid me wait a while, 



252 



T H k NEW TESTAM EN T 



till I saw more of the fru5ts. I resolved tc 
do so ; but I soon began to doubt of the wit- 
ness, which, before, I had felt in my heart, 
and was in a little time sensible I had lost 
both. A second time, after receiving this sal- 
vation, (with shame I confess it,) I was kept 
from being a witness for my Lord, by the sug- 
gestion, ' Thou art a public character ; the 
eyes of all are upon thee ; and if, as before, 
by any means thou lose the blessing, it will 
be a dishonor to the doctrine of heart holi- 
ness,' &c. I held my peace, and again for- 
feited the gift of God ! At another time I 
was prevailed upon to hide it by reasoning : 
How few, even of the children of God, will 
receive this testimony ; many of them suppos 
ing every transgression of the Adamic law is 
sin ; and therefore, if I profess myself to be 
free from sin, all these w T ill give my profession 
the lie, because I am not free, in their sense ; 
I am not free from ignorance, mistakes, and 
various infirmities ; I will, therefore, enjoy 
what God has wrought in me, but I will not 
Bay, I am perfect in love. Alas ! I soon found 



S"VNI>AKD OF PILTY. 



253 



again, 6 He that hideth "his lord's talent, ai*: 
improveth it not, from that unprofitable ser- 
vant shall be taken away even that he hatL " 

" Now, my brethren, you see my folly ! 1 
have confessed it in your presence, and now I 
resolve, before you all, to confess my Master ; 
if" will confess him to all the world : [not be- 
fore believers only,] and I declare unto you, 
in the presence of God, the holy Trinity, I 
am now 1 dead indeed unto sin.' I do not 
say 6 1 am crucified with Christ,' because some 
of our well-meaning brethren say, By this can 
only be meant a gradual dying ; but I profess 
unto you, I am dead unto sin and alive unto 
God ! And remember, all this is £ through 
Jesus Christ our Lord.' He is my Prophet, 
Vriest, and King ; my indwelling holiness ; 
my all in all." — Hester Ann Rogers, p. 135. 

In view of this confession, how can any 
man of candor say, " I am not sure that Mr. 
Fletcher ever professed entire sanctification ? " 

How any person can affirm that Drs. Clark, 
CoVe, and Bishop Asbury, never riade a pub- 
lic profession of entire sanetifica'-ion we are 



.rHL FEW TEST. AM KNT 



unable to determine. We know that Bishop 
Asbury's journals are full of confessions of 
holiness ; and that he felt himself 6k divinely 
c> mmissioned to preach sanctification in every 
ermon : " and no where does he say that he 
iid not publicly profess it. As for Dr. Clark, 
few men of his day urged upon the people 
the importance of full salvation more earnestly. 
It was a special theme with him. In 1786, 
Mr. Wesley addressed him thus : — 

" My dear Brother, — You do well in insist 
ing upon full and present salvation, whether 
men will hear or forbear, as also in preaching 
abroad when the weather permits, and recom- 
mending fasting, both by precept and example. 
But you need not wonder that all these are 
opposed, not only by formalists, but by half 
Methodists. Be all in earnest, and you shall 
see greater things than these." — Works, vol. 
vii. p. 203. 

In 1790, one year before his death, Mr. 
Wesley addressed the following letter to Dr. 
Clark : — 

" Dear Adam, — The account you send m« 



STANDARD OF PIET t . 



255 



cf the continuance of the great work of God 
in Jersey gives me great satisfaction. To re- 
tain the grace of God is much more than ta 
gain it ; hardly one in three does this. And 
this should be strongly and explicitly urged 
on all who have tasted of perfect love. If we 
can prove that any of our local preachers or 
leaders, either directly or indirectly, speak 
against it, let him be a local preacher or leader 
no longer. I doubt whether he should con- 
tinue in the society. Because he that can 
speak thus in our congregations cannot be an 
honest man. Last week I had an excellent 
letter from Mrs. Pawson, (a glorious witness 
of full salvation,) showing how impossible it 
is to retain pure love without growing therein." 
— Works, vol. vii. p. 206 

We would not pretend to say how certain 
leaders and ministers — travelling, as well as 
local — would stand Mr. Wesley's discipline, 
should it be enforced. It is a fact, which none 
can deny, that many are doing daily what Mr. 
Wesley says none but dishonest persons can 
do in our congregations, and for the doing of 



256 



THE 



NEW 



TESTAMENT 



which he doubted whether they should continue 
in the society. 

Mr. Wesley preached at St. Helier, Dr. 
Clark's charge, in 1787, "to an exceeding se- 
rious congregation," " whom," he says, "I ex- 
horted to go on unto perfection ; which many of 
them, Mr. Clark informs me, are earnestly en- 
deavoring to do." — Works, vol. iv. p. 676. 

From Dr. Clark's deep interest in the sub- 
ject of entire sanctification, as indicated by 
the foregoing facts ; and the frequent reference 
to the subject in his Commentaries; and in 
absence of all declarations from him to the 
contrary ; it does seem to me that a person 
must be hard pushed to force the example of 
the doctor against a profession of this grace. 

We know of no reason why God should 
not have the glory of our sanctification, as 
well as that of our justification. Any argu- 
ment against a profession of entire sanctifica- 
tion would be equally conclusive against a 
profession of justification. They are both the 
work of the same Agent, and glory is equally 
due the " Lamb slain " for both. If we 



STANDARD OP PIETY. 



257 



should consult the experience of those who 
enjoy this blessing, and whose lives give evi- 
dence of its possession, nine tenths of the 
whole number would confess that their faith 
has been immensely strengthened, and their 
love greatly increased, by a humble, honest 
confession of what God has done for their 
souls. 

We would recommend, then, to all who 
enjoy this blessing, to make a humble, discreet, 
loving confession of the work wrought. In 
doing this, " beware," says Mr. Fletcher, " of 
imitating the vanity of those coxcombs who, 
as often as they are about to pay for a trifle, 
pull out a handful of gold, merely to make a 
show of their wealth." 

A minister arose before the stand, at a camp- 
meeting, and said : "I am in my right mind, 
and I wish to give in a testimony which 1 
desire every one on this ground should hear. 
Ministers, hear it ! Brethren and sisters of the 
laity, hear it ! Sinners, hear it ! Go home and 

publish it ! Yes, tell it — that on the • 

camp-ground, you heard a minister profess to be 
17 



/ 



£68 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



wholly sanctified ! Yes, God has wholly sancii- 
fied my soul ! I know it, and I wish to publish 
it to the world ! Away with mere theories and 
discussions on entire sanctification ! It is the 
thing itself we must have — the experience. 1 
have got it ! Glory be to God, the blood of 
Jesus cleanseth me from all sin ! And now I 
am resolved to publish it! Yes, tell it!" — 
Incidental Illustrations ^ p. 354. 

These were the truthful utterances of a 
heart, filled with the love of God. And had 
the minister only substituted for " icholly sane- 
tified" the term "conversion" or "regener- 
ation" it would have been entirely unobjec- 
tionable. But if the work is of God, and is 
accomplished, why not profess it -as readily in 
the one case as in the other? It looks to 
us like false modesty, and an attempt to shun 
responsibility. 

Mr. Bra m well relates his experience on this 
subject in the following language : " The devil 
told me that I had better not profess it. But 
in preaching that night the temptation was re- 
moved, and my soul was again filled with 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



259 



glory and with God. I then declared to the 
people what Goo. had done for mv soul ; and 
I have done so on every proper occasion since 
tnat time, believing it to be a duty incumbent 
upon me. I think such a blessing cannot be 
retained without professing it at every fit op- 
portunity ; for thus we glorify God, and with 
tne mouth make confession unto salvation." — 
Life, pp. 37, 38. 

We do not wish to be understood here as 
taking extreme ground^. We are opposed to 
making any undue or extravagant confes- 
sion of any attainment in this life. Still, we 
do most firmly believe that a humble, earn- 
est, full confession of entire sanctiflcation is 
scriptural, Wesleyan, and honorable to God. 
It should have its appropriate place. We 
are God's witnesses, and as such, should 
"testify the grace of God." 

3. In order to retain the perfect love oi 
God, we must not rely too much upon our 
emotions. 

We are to " walk bv faith, not by sight." 
Our faith is liable to increase or diminish as 



460 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



our sensibilities are excited or dormant. If 
we have much feeling, we regard ourselves as 
possessed oi much faith. If we have little 
feeling, we regard our faith as correspondingly 
feeble. But he who thus lives will have an 
unsatisfactory experience. If we would have 
our path " shine more and more unto the per- 
fect day/' we must follow God by faith, not by 
feeling. 

The life of holiness is emphatically a life 
of faith : unbelief intermeddleth not therewith. 
In storm and sunshine the perfect Christian is 
the same. His faith may be tried, and he may 
be sorely tempted, but God " giveth more 
grace." 

Afflictions may come. — we need them. 
While there is a tempter, we shall be tempted : 
but the " Lion of the tribe of Judah " is the 
Captain of our salvation. 

Our path to heaven does not lie all the way 
through Beulah. It is "through rruch tribu- 
lation tnat we enter into the kingdom." We 
have our Elims of fruit and shade, to be sure ; 
but we have also our Marahs of bitter waters. 



STANDARD OF PIETY 



261 



We are often r- Meshed with the rich clusters 
of Kschol, but wc are soon called to pass 
ih tough the streamless valley of Baca. In it 
all, however, the holy soul, walking by faitn, 
?ees the hand of its almighty Victor extended 
towards his bleeding followers ; and a voice is 
heard, ~ sweet, and faith-inspiring, — "I have 
overcome he world!" The weapons which he 
used in the terrible conflict, he puts into the 
elands f all, and bids them " fear not, only 
believe." He knows just how much we can 
bear, for he is " touched with the feelings of 
our infirmities." "He has gone," says one, 
" through every class in our wilderness school." 
We may not see the sun at all times. It may 
be hid for a season, for reasons best known 
to the Master ; but in due time, to our 
great joy, it will break from the cloud — " Only 
believe." 

Mr. Fletcher says: "Exercise faith inde- 
pendent of all feeling, in a naked promise, 
bringing with you but a distracted heart." 

" The Lord has taught me," says Lady 
Maxwell, " that it is by faith, and not joy 



262 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



that T must live. He has, in a measure, of .tn 
enabled me strongly to act faith in Jeaus for 
sanctifi cation, even in the absence of all com- 
fort. This has diffused a heaven of sweetnes: 
through my soul, and brought with it the pow 
crful witness of purity." William Carvossc 
says that these remarks of Lacy M. " per- 
fectly agree with his own views of experience." 
— Carvosso, p. 193. 

Fenelon says: "Naked faith, alo^c, is h 
sure guard against illusion. When our foun- 
dation is not upon any imagination, feeling, 
pleasure, or extraordinary illumination ; wher 
we rest upon God only in pure and naked 
faith, in the simplicity of the gospel, receiving 
the consolations which he sends, but dwelling 
in none ; following the light of the faith of 
the present moment ; then w r e are indeed in a 
way that is but little subject to illusion. Who- 
ever will try it, will soon find that this way 
of naked faith, rigidly followed,- is the pro* 
foundest and most complete death of self. In- 
terior delights and revelations indemnify but 
self-love for all its external sacrifices, and 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



263 



(hensh a secret and refined life of nature; but 
to suffer ourselves to be stripped within and 
without at once — without by Providence, and 
within by the night of pure faith — this is a 
total sacrifice, and a state the farthest possible 
from self-deception." — Spiritual Progress, pp. 
144, 145. 

This was the life of .the Apostolic Church. 
Constant faith was urged upon all who loved 
God. The character of the instruction may 
be learned from the following, from " The 
Shepherd of St. Hernias : " — 

" They that are full of faith, ask all things 
with confidence, and receive from the Lord, 
because they ask without doubting. But he 
that doubts, shall hardly live unto God except 
he repent. Wherefore, purify thy heart from 
doubting, and put on faith, and trust in God, 
and thou shalt receive all that thou shalt ask 
Consider, therefore, this doubting, how cruel 
and pernicious it is, and how it utterly roots 
out many from the faith, who were very faith- 
ful and firm. For this doubting is the daugh- 
ter of the devil, and deals very wickedly with 



264 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



the servants of God. Despise it, therefore, 
and thou shalt rule over it on every occasion. 
Put on a firm and powerful faith ; for faith 
promises all things, and perfects all tilings 
But doubting will not believe that it shall ob- 
tain any thing, by all that it can do. Thou 
seest, therefore, how faith cometh from above, 
— from God, and has great power; but doubt- 
ing is an earthly spirit, and proceedeth from 
the devil, and has no strength." — Wake's 
Apostolic Fathers, p. 249. 

We have reason to doubt our oneness with 
God when the first storm leaves us a shapeless 
wreck, unfit for service. Had our heavenly 
Helmsman been on board, he would have said 
to the wild roar of contending elements, " Le 
still," and we should have experienced no 
damage. 

" When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie, 
His grace, all-suffieient, shall be your supply ; 
The flames shall not hurt you, — he only designs 
Your dross to consume, and your gold to refine.' 

An experience not unlike what many have 
passed through, who have attained the higher 
hidden life of Christianit) , is described in the 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



265 



following beautiful extract, from a work now 
out of print, but which contairs many pas- 
sages of almost unsurpassed beauty, indicat- 
ing a deep insight into the inner life expe- 
riences : — 

"In entering upon the higher life, the soul 
must learn to love holiness for its own intrinsic 
excellence, and not merely as a means of excit- 
ing in us blissful ecstasies. The first feature of 
the wilderness state is a cessation of all the 
pleasurable emotions of the soul. The heart 
sometimes experiences a state it is not easy to 
describe. There is no emotion of any kind, no 
active desire, no joy, no conscious peace, no 
misery, no guilt. There is a suspension of 
the soul's sensibility. A desert is not more 
destitute of flowers than is the spirit of emo- 
tions. It is a state of inward emptiness. It 
is not necessarily an unhappy condition. The 
soui is like the clear blue vault of heaven on 
a winter day, when no cloud is seen, and no 
winds are abroad. This absence of emotion 
may be a ' peaceful vacancy,' though we are 
often alarmed, just as a traveller on a lonely 



26o 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



mountain summit sometimes is terrified at th* 
very silence which there reigns It seems 
more dreadful to him than the loudest thun- 
der. This inward stillness is often attended 
with a restless and painful longing, and with 
an apprehension that God has abandoned us ; 
the soul, in its blindness, having taken the 
gifts of God for himself. If we set ourselves 
to enjoy the highest results of Christian ex- 
perience, and to be wholly the Lord's, the 
question must soon be settled, whether we 
love God as a means of our happiness, or for 
bis own sake. If we can be satisfied with 
nothing but the intoxication of emotion, we 
give him an altogether secondary place in our 
affections ; we make him only a means of out 
enjoyment, instead of sacrificing ourselves to 
him. Such a soul has not fully lost itself in 
God. We should aim to realize what was 
called by Archbishop Fenelon a state of pure 
love — a disinterested love, a love of order, of 
absolute beauty and perfection, superior to 
every agreeable sensation, and which can act 
in the absence of all sensible pleasures and 



STAtfDATID OF PIETY. 



267 



:onsoiu,tions of grace. The soul, at si ch a 
iime, may have no feeling, no happy emotion, 
on which its faith may lean. Yet it still holds 
to God, and loves him for his own sake above 
all his gifts. It is conscious, in its profound- 
c\v d^pihe, of a refined satisfaction with God 
and complacency in him. The love that exists 
in such a state of naked faith is the purest 
form of Christian love. It has less of self in 
it. The finite recedes, and the Infinite fills 
the affections. It is as pure as the breeze 
that fans an angel's brow. It may not be an 
emotion. It is deeper tnan an emotion. 
We are told that there are depths of the 
ocean where the plummet sinks below all 
the currents and disturbances of the surface, 
and where eternal stillness reigns. So of 
a soul in this state of naked faith and pure 
love. It is an angelic flame, still and silent 
as the unfathomed depth of the sea. A state 
of naked faith, or what somt writers on in- 
ward experience denominate the wilderness 
state, is a most beneficial mental condition, if 
the spirit does not falter, and if the will holds 



2GS 



THE NEW TESTAMENT 



the soul, emptied of all desires and emotions 
in the presence of God. We should not be 
seized with a panic, nor struggle to work our- 
selves into an emotional fram \ If the enemy 
insultingly asks, Where is now thy God ? stand 
like Christ before the bar of Pilate, in tri- 
umphant silence ; or, if you speak, let praise 
flow from your lips like melody from the 
string. Alas, how many stumble and fall when 
the divine Shepherd leads them into the des- 
ert, to wean them from themselves and the 
world, and purge from the soul all its sensuous 
and earthly images ! This is the crisis in (he 
experience of the hidden life. It is a spirit- 
ual Rubicon. If we cross it, victory and em- 
pire await us in the future." Not a few have 
known this wilderness state. 

We shall have our trials of faith, and our 
temptations. The Lord sends the trial to 
crucify the flesh, as in the case of Paul's 
thorn ; Satan sends the temptation to ruin us 
as in the case of Judas' betrayal, Peter's de- 
nial, and Ananias and Sapphira's falsehood. 
We should not be anxious about the removal 



STANDARD OF PIETY. 



269 



of the trial, but the temptation should De re- 
pelled at once. The trial makes our way to 
neaven more sure, while the temptation makes 
it more dangerous. One is the product of a 
Father's love, the other of a devil's hate. 

Let us .urge you, dear reader, to sound the 
depths of your heart, and see if the true marks 
of piety are there. It is a matter involving 
too much of interest to be passed over with- 
out careful attention. Do you, from the heart, 
prefer obscurity and silence to applause and 
distinction r — that state described by Mr. 
Wesley, — 

" Make me little and unknown, 
Loved and prized by God alone 99 ? 

Do you fear reproach, for the sake of Christ, 
less and less ? and does the thought of bear- 
ing such reproach produce joy, or regret ? Does 
the cross and humiliation of the Saviour more 
and more command your reverence ? Do you 
fear more and more the lustre of those virtues 
which are most admired by men, and love those 
that are more secret ? Do you from the heart 
esteem the virtues of others, and excuse their 



270 STANDARD OF PIETY. 

faults with mildness ? Do you readily and 
easily pardon injuries, and even forget, in feel 
ing. the wrong done ? Do you feel more and 
more, under afflictive dispensations, and the 
most distressing events, — 44 Thy will be done 99 ? 
Do you feel more and more that you and 
Christ are one, never to be separated ? 44 O 
union of unity," exclaims Madame Guyon, 44 de- 
manded of God by Jesus Christ for man, and 
merited by him ! After the consummation of 
uls divine unity, the soul remains hid witl 
Christ in God." 

" O sacred union with the perfect Mind ! 

Transcendent bliss, which thou alone canst give ! 
How blest are they this pearl of price who find, 
And, dead to earth, have learned in thee to live ! 

M Thus, in thine arms of love, O God, 1 lie, 
Lost, and forever lost, to all but thee ; 
3Iy happy soul, since it hath learned to die, 
Hath found new life in thine infinity. 

" O, go, and learn this lesson of the cross, 

And tread the way which saints and prophets trotf 
Who, counting life, and self, and all things joss, 
tiave found in inward death the life of (rod. -" 



APPENDIX 



EXPERIENCE OF REV, ALFRED COOKMAN. 

EV. ALFRED COOKMAN, a name 
embalmed in the affections of Christians 
of every name, gives an account of his experi- 
ence in the following words : 

"When just ten years of age, I realized 
clearly and satisfactorily the converting grace 
of God. I never shall forget the 12th of Feb- 
ruary, 1838, — the birtbda}^ of my eternal life." 

Mr. Cookman's mind was first called to the 
subject of entire sanctification by the remark 
of his mother as he was about to leave his 
happy home to preach the gospel : " My son, 
if you would be supremely happy, or exten- 
sively useful in your ministry, you must be an 
entirely sanctified servant of Jesus." 

" Frequently/' he says, " I felt to yield my- 
self to God, and pray for the grace of entire 

271 




272 



APPENDIX. 



sanctification ; but then the experience would 
lift itself in my view as a mountain of glory, 
and I would say, -'It is not for me. I could 
not possibly scale that shining summit ; and, 
if I might, my besetments and trials are such, I 
could not successfully maintain so lofty a posi- 
tion.' " 

He was finally induced by Bishop and Mrs. 
Hamline, who were laboring in the vicinity, to 
seek the great blessing. " One week-day after- 
noon/' he says, "after a most delightful dis- 
course, he urged us to seize the opportunity, 
and do what we had often desired, resolved, and 
promised to do, viz. : as believers, yield our- 
selves to God as those who were alive from the 
dead, and from that hour trust constantly in 
Jesus as our Saviour from all sin. I said, 'I 
will ; with the help of the Almighty Spirit, I 
will ' Kneeling by myself, I brought an entire 
consecration to the altar; I.e., Christ. I cove- 
nanted with my own heart and with ni3 r Heav- 
enly Father, that this entire but unworthy 
offering should remain upon the altar, and that 
henceforth I would please God by believing 



APPENDIX. 



273 



that the altar (Christ) sanctifieth the gift. Do 
you ask, What was the immediate effect ? I 
answer, Peace, — a broad, deep, full, satisfying, 
and sacred peace. Still, I could not sa}^ that I 
was entirely sanctified, except as I had sancti- 
fied or set apart myself unto God." 

The following day, he ventured to tell Bishop 
Hamline of his entire consecration and faith in 
Jesus, and in the confession realized increasing 
light and strength. Prayer was proposed by 
Mrs. Hamline. Mr. Cookman says : " Pros- 
trated before God, one and another prayed, and 
while thus engaged, God, for Christ's sake, 
gave me the Holy Spirit as I had never re- 
ceived Him before, so that I was constrained to 
conclude and confess, — 

' ' Tis done ! Thou dost this moment save, 
With full salvation bless 
Redemption through thy blood I have, 
And spotless love and peace.' 

The great work of sanctification that I had so 
often prayed and hoped for, was wrought in 
me — even in me. I could not doubt it. 



274 



APPENDIX. 



The evidence in my case was as direct and 
indubitable as the witness of sonship received 
at the time of my adoption into the family of 
heaven. Oh, it was glorious, divinely glorious ! 

u Xeed I say that the experience of sanctifi- 
cation inaugurated a new epoch in my religious 
life ? Oh, what blessed rest in Jesus ! what an 
abiding experience of purity through the blood 
of the Lamb ! what a conscious union and con- 
stant communion with God! what increased 
power to do or suffer the will of my Father in 
heaven ! what delight in the Master's service ! 
what fear to grieve the infinitely Holy Spirit! 
what love for, and desire to be with, the entirely 
sanctified ! what confidence in prayer ! what 
illumination in the perusal of the sacred Word ! 
what increased unction in the performance of 
public duties ! 

This was the experience of a man of whom 
Bishop Foster said, on the day of his burial, that 
he was the most sacred man he had ever known. 
Entire sanctification was his theme, until he 
went u sweeping through the gates, washed in 
the blood of the Lamb." 



APPENDIX. 



275 



EXPERIENCE OF DANIEL STEELE, D. D. 

At my conversion, thirty years ago, through 
weakness of faith^the seal of my justification 
was impressed so slightly that the word Abba, 
my Father, was scarcely legible. Yet in answer 
to a mother's prayers in my infancy, consecrat- 
ing, with conscious acceptance, her son to the 
Christian ministry, 1 was called to preach, but 
called with a "woe unto me," instead of an 
" anointing with the oil of gladness." I will 
not dwell upon the unpleasant theme of a min- 
istry of twenty years almost fruitless in conver- 
sions, through a lack of an unction from the 
Holy One. My great error was in depending 
on the truth alone to break stony hearts. The 
Holy Spirit, though formally acknowledged and 
invoked, was practically ignored. My personal 
experience, during much of this time, consisted 
in,— 

" Sorrows and sins, and doubts and fears, 
A howling wilderness.'* 



276 



APPENDIX. 



But an evangelist with moderate pulpit tal- 
ent, but extraordinary power to awaken slum- 
bering professors and to bring sinners to the 
foot of the cross, came across my path. I 
sought to find the hidings of his power, and 
discovered that it was the fitness of the Holy 
Spirit enjoyed as an abiding blessing, styled by 
him, "Rest in Jesus." I was convicted. I 
sought earnestly the same great gift, but could 
not exercise faith till I had made a public con- 
fession of my sin in preaching self more' than 
Christ, and in being satisfied with the applause 
of the Church above the approval of her divine 
Head. I immediately began to feel a strange 
freedom, daily increasing, the cause of which I 
did not not distinctly apprehend. I was then 
led to seek the conscious and joyful presence of 
the Comforter in my heart. Having settled the 
question that this was not merely an apostolic 
blessing, but for all ages — " He shall abide 
with you forever " — I took the promise, " Ver- 
ily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall 
ask the Father in my name, He will give it 
you." The u verily " had to me all the strength 



APPENDIX. 277 

of an oath. Out of the " whatsoever " I took 
all temporal blessings, not; because I did not 
believe them to be included, but because I was 
not then seeking them. I then wrote my own 
name in the promise, not to exclude others, but 
to be sure that I included myself. Then, writ- 
ing underneath these words, " To-day is the 
day of salvation," I found that my faith had 
three points to master, — the Comforter, for me, 
now. Upon the promise I ventured with an 
act of appropriating faith, claiming the Com- 
forter as my right in the name of Jesus. For 
several hours I clung by naked faith, praying 
and repeating Charles Wesley's hymn, — 

" Jesus, thine all-victorious love 
Shed in my heart abroad." 

I then ran over in my mind the great facts in 
Christ's life, especially dwelling upon Gethse- 
mane and Cavalry, his ascension, priesthood, 
and all-atoning sacrifice. Suddenly I became 
conscious of a mysterious power exerting itself 
upon my sensibilities. My physical sensations, 
though not of a nervous temperament, in good 



278 



APPENDIX. 



health, alone, and calm, were like those of elec- 
tric sparks passing through ray bosom with 
slight but painless shocks, melting my hard 
heart into a fiery stream of love. Christ became 
so unspeakably precious, that I instantly 
dropped all earthly good, — reputation, property, 
friends, family, everything, in the twinkling of 
an eye ; my soul plying out, — 

"None but Christ to me be given, 
None but Christ in earth or heaven." 

He stood forth as my Saviour, all radiant in His 
loveliness, "the chief among ten thousand." 
Yet there was no phantasm, or image, or ut- 
tered word apprehended by my intellect. The 
affections were the sphere of this wonderful phe- 
nomenon, best described as "the love of God 
shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost." 
It seemed as if the attraction of Jesus, the 
loadstone of my soul, was so strong that it 
would be drawn out of my body, and through 
the college window by which I was sitting, and 
upward into the sky. Oh, how vivid and real 
was all this to me ! I was more certain that 



APPENDIX. 



279 



Christ loved me than I was of the existence of 
the solid earth and the shining sun. I intui- 
tively apprehended Christ. My college-class 
were just then discussing the subject of the 
intuitive cognitions. I began to apply Sir Wil- 
liam Hamilton's tests of these ; namely, that 
they are simple, incomprehensible, necessary, 
and universal. The last adjective, of course, 
could not apply to the intuitive belief of one 
individual. But my consciousness testified that 
my certainty of Christ's love had the three first- 
named characteristics ; that it was to me even 
a necessary truth, the contrary of which was as 
unthinkable as the annihilation of space. The 
last remarkable peculiarity remained more than 
forty days, after which I had hours in which I 
could conceive the contrary of the proposition, 
" Christ loves me." On such occasions my firm 
conviction of his love was not an intuition, but 
an inference from my past experience together 
with the absence of any feeling of condemnation. 
I no longer doubt Wesley's doctrine of the 
direct witness of the Spirit, as distinct from 
the testimony of my spirit discerning the fruits 



280 



APPENDIX. 



of the Spirit and inferring his presence and 
work. I cannot to this day read the promises 
without feeling a sudden but delightful shock 
of an invisible power sweetly applying them to 
my heart. 

Thus much I think is due to those who would 
study this manifestation of the Spirit from the 
standpoint of theology and mental philosophy, 
— a point of view, I myself have often wished 
that remarkable experiences could be seen from. 
But language is wholly inadequate to express a 
manifestation of Christ which did not formulate 
itself in words, but in the mighty, overwhelming 
pulsations of love. The joy for weeks was un- 
speakable. The impulse was irresistible to speak 
of it to everybody, saint or sinner, Protestant or 
Papist, in public and in private. At the time 
of this writing, seven weeks from the first mani- 
festation, the ecstasy has subsided into a deli- 
cious and unruffled peace, rising into ecstasy only 
in acts of especial devotion. I find no fear of 
man nor of death. I can no longer accuse my- 
self of unbelief, the root of all sin. What may 
be in me, below the gaze of consciousness, I do 



APPENDIX. 



281 



not know. I must wait till occasions shall put 
me to the test. It would not be wise for me to 
assert that all sinful anger — there is a righteous 
anger — is taken away till I have passed through 
a college rebellion, or something equally provok- 
ing. If sin consists only in active energies, 
I am not conscious of such dwelling within me. 
If sin consists in a state, as some assert, I infer 
that I am not in such a state, from the absence 
of sinful energies flowing therefrom, and more 
especially from the indwelling of the Holy 
Spirit. I have had no other direct witness than 
that attesting Christ's love to me. My per- 
sonal friends do not need to be informed that 
the doctrine of entire sanctification as a spe- 
cialty has not been my hobby, but rather my 
abhorrence, in consequence of the imperfect 
manner in which it has been inculcated and ex- 
emplified. Hence, if there is anything in this 
experience confirmatory of that doctrine as a 
distinct work, considering my former attitude 
toward this subject, my testimony is something 
like that of Saul of Tarsus to the truth of Chris- 
tianity. 



282 



APPENDIX. 



If I have any advice to give to Methodists, it 
is to cease to discuss the subtleties and endless 
questions arising from entire sanctification or 
Christian perfection, and all cry mightily to 
God for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, This 
is certainly promised to all believers in Jesus. 
Methodism thus anointed in the pulpit and pew 
would be the mightiest Christian power in our 
country and in the world. Oh that every min- 
ister and layman would inquire the way to the 
upper room in Jerusalem, and there abide till 
tongues of fire flame upon their heads ! 



APPENDIX. 



283 



CONSECRATION, 

BY REV. ALFRED COOKMAN. 

But just at this point some one will inquire 
for the difference between the consecration we 
made of ourselves at the time of our conversion, 
and the consecration that our entire sanctifica- 
tion calls for ? This is an interesting question. 
The distinction, as we think, will develop in 
four particulars, 

FIRST DIFFERENCE. 

When we came to God for pardon, we brought 
and offered powers that were dead, and only 
dead, in trespasses and in sins; but when we 
would realize the experience of entire sanctifi- 
cation, we consecrate powers that are permeated 
with the new life of regeneration. Hence, 
says an apostle, " Yield 3 T ourselves unto God as 
those who are alive from the dead; " and again, 
' ( I beseech you, brethren (he is addressing 
Christians), that ye" present your bodies," i. e. f 
your souls and bodies, a part being put for the 



284 



APPENDIX. 



whole, yourselves, "a living sacrifice." This is 
the first distinction. 

SECOND DIFFERENCE. 

When we dedicated ourselves to the divine 
service at conversion, we seemed to mass our 
offering, and said, very sincerely and earn- 
estly,— 

" Here, Lord, I give myself away : 
Tis all that I can do ;" 

but when we would sanctify ourselves unto 
God, with a view to this richer and deeper 
experience, then, with the illumination received 
at conversion and characterizing our regener- 
ated life, our consecration becomes more in- 
telligent, specific, and careful. It is not 
merely myself as before. It is now these 
hands, these feet, these senses, this body with 
all its members and powers ; it is now my 
soul, with all its ennobling faculties, — its un- 
derstanding, judgment, memory, imagination, 
conscience, will, and affections. It is now all 
my talents of time, influence, energy, reputa- 
tion, home, kindred, friends, wordly substance, 



APPENDIX. 



285 



— everything. Upon all we have and are we 
specifically and honestly inscribe, u Sacred to 
Jesus ; " covenanting to use all in harmony 
with the divine will. Some at this point have 
been careful to write upon paper the several 
items that were included, as well as the several 
obligations that were assumed, in this fuller 
consecration of themselves to God. This was 
the case with the celebrated Dr. Jonathan 
Edwards, of the Presbyterian Church. 

THIRD DIFFERENCE. 

When we would thus specifically sanctify 
ourselves unto God, there is likely to rise up in 
the mind, or before the conscience, some pecul- 
iarly trying test of obedience. This is varied 
in different experiences. It may be a little 
thing, a very little thing, but it is not on that 
account any the less formidable. Eating an 
apple amid Paradisaical scenes would seem, 
from a human stancl-point, to have been a very 
little thing; and then observe, it was a test 
required of one who was living before God. 
Adam failed in the test; a failure "that 



286 



APPENDIX. 



brought death into the world, and all our woe." 

So the test that infinite holiness may lay upon 
the regenerated may be a little thing, perhaps 
something connected with our appetites, or with 
our adornments, or with our associations, or with 
our services. The question may be, Will you 
give up that doubtful indulgence, a something 
in which you regard your own inclinations rather 
than your soul's good and God's glory ? Will you 
lay aside the last tc eight, and the sin that doth 
so easily beset you ? Will you take your place 
with the entirely devoted, and consent that 
those around shall say reproachfully, " He is 
one of the sanctified ? V Oh ! it is hesitation 
or reluctance upon just such points, that will 
explain very much of the feeble, halting, sickly 
religious experience and Christian life that 
characterizes too many of the professed disciples 
of the Lord Jesus. 

FOURTH DIFFERENCE. 

This will appear in the object or end of the 
two consecrations. When we came offering 
ourselves to God in the first instance, it was 



APPENDIX. 



287 



that we might obtain pardon ; now we specifi- 
cally yield all, including the doubtful indul- 
gence, with a view to heart purity. Then, 
groaning under a sense of our guiltiness, we 
said, u wretched man that I am ! " We 
wanted to be lifted into the relationship, and 
admitted to the privileges, of dear children. 
Now we come as children, having the spirit of 
adoption ; not for pardon or peace, — these are 
not our conscious need, — but we come for a 
more perfect submission to the divine will ; a 
more satisfactory sense of heart purity ; an in- 
creased ability to do or suffer all the will of our 
Father in heaven, and a deeper and a more 
blessed rest in Christ. 

Observe, then, these four features, as belong- 
ing more especially to the consecration required 
of the regenerated. 



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